Polyamide/organoclay nanocomposites have been prepared via direct melt intercalation in an internal mixer at 2.5% volume fraction, under various processing conditions. The influence of the melt mixing conditions on the structure and on the oscillatory and steady shear rheological properties of PA-12 layered silicate nanocomposites has been studied. Both structural properties and melt state material properties of nanocomposites were shown to exhibit similar trends when studied as a function of the specific mixing energy. Low frequency storage and loss moduli, but also yield stress and low-shear first normal stress difference were shown to increase up to a critical value of this specific mixing energy, and to level off above this value.
Organoclay polymer nanocomposites offer improved material properties at very low filler loadings making them of immediate interest for industrial applications. In this study two matrices are used : a polar polymer, PA12, and a non polar polymer, LLDPE. Many articles focused on the importance of the chemistry used to modify the surface of the clay. Numerous papers studied the influence of the compatibilizing agent necessary to obtain intercalated structure, when the matrix is non polar. This paper demonstrates the importance of the way the clay was melt processed into the thermoplastic matrix. Layered silicate nanocomposites based on PA12 or LLDPE were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and rheological tests. The influence of volume fraction on rheological and structural properties is also investigated.
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