Comparative Effects of MMT Clay Modified with Two Different Cationic Surfactants on the Thermal and Rheological Properties of Polypropylene Nanocomposites

Abstract

Polypropylene montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending using two different organoclays modified with imidazolium and alkylammonium surfactants. The imidazolium and ammonium modified organoclays were characterized by the FTIR and SEM analysis. The effect of organic clay (MMT) on the physical properties of polypropylene was evaluated, thermal and rheological properties with different filler weight percentage. Differential scanning calorimetric results showed that imidazolium modified clay (IMMT) exhibits low melting temperature compared to the ammonium modified clay (AMMT). The crystallinity analysis showed that crystallization improved in all nanocomposites irrespective of surface modification; the thermogravimetric analysis showed that the imidazolium modified polymer composites are more thermally stable than conventional ammonium modified composites. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses indicated that the PP-IMMT composites displayed exfoliated morphologies compared with the intercalated structure in PP-AMMT, and the rheological analysis at 180 ∘ C showed an enhancement in the viscoelastic properties as the clay concentration increases. The melt viscosity, crossover modulus, and relaxation times were comparable for both the surface modified composites with two different cations. The imidazolium based surfactant was found to be an effective organic modification for MMT to prepare thermally stable PP/MMT nanocomposites.

Thermogravimetric Analysis Properties of Cellulosic Natural Fiber Polymer Composites: A Review on Influence of Chemical Treatments

“…This was related to the presence of MMT clay that created a barrier effect by hindering the formation of small molecules, thus hindering chain mobility and delaying the decomposition phase. On the other hand, MMT clay acted as an insulator for mass transportation, increasing the thermal stability of volatile products produced in the decomposition [ 166 ].…”

“…The outcome revealed that the hybridization improved the thermal stability of the composite, with a high proportion of the MMT clay in the hybrid PLA composite producing an optimum decomposition temperature, i.e., 350 • C. This was related to the presence of MMT clay that created a barrier effect by hindering the formation of small molecules, thus hindering chain mobility and delaying the decomposition phase. On the other hand, MMT clay acted as an insulator for mass transportation, increasing the thermal stability of volatile products produced in the decomposition [166].…”

Effect of Organic Modifier Types on the Physical–Mechanical Properties and Overall Migration of Post-Consumer Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites for Food Packaging

“…They are laminar aluminosilicates that can enhance the stiffness and strength of the plastics through the intercalation of the polymer chains between clay galleries [ 4 ]. Most of the studies on PP/clay nanocomposites have used virgin resin, and only a few works have focused on the reinforcement of RPP where the nanofillers can potentially act as performance improvers of the degraded plastic, which has a molar mass distribution different than VPP, depending on the grade and source of the recycled polymer [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. However, these scarce studies have only focused on the morphology and some rheological–mechanical aspects and not on the chemical safety and overall migration of the nanocomposites, which is essential for food packaging materials to guarantee human health and consumer acceptability.…”

The Influence of Nano CaCO3 on Nucleation and Interface of PP Nano Composite: Matrix Processability and Impact Resistance

“…The factors that hamper the reinforcement of nanostructures are alignment, dispersion of the filler and interfacial bonding between the filler and polymer [9]. Many studies reported that better mechanical properties are attributed to the formation of an interfacial adhesion layer in the presence of a bonding agent such as cationic surfactants or maleic anhydride (MAH) compatibilizer [10,11]. The simultaneous introduction of both filler and compatibilizer is beneficial, as the compatibilizers are frequently used to improve the interfacial adhesion between fillers and the matrix result in optimum dispersion which is usually difficult to Polymers 2021, 13, 1389 2 of 9 achieve [12,13].…”