Polypropylene-blended organoclay nanocomposites – preparation, characterisation and properties

Abstract

Intercalated/exfoliated nanocomposites of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) blended nanoclay (Cloisite 20 A and Cloisite 30B) were fabricated using melt extrusion process. Polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) was used as a compatibiliser to improve the dispersibility of clay. TPO/nanoclay composites were prepared with different percentages of clay loading (3, 5 and 7 wt%) by adding PP-g-MA as a compatibiliser. The nanocomposites having 5 wt%C20A/5 wt% compatibiliser exhibited a remarkable improvement in mechanical (tensile modulus, flexural modulus and impact strength) and thermal (heat distortion temperature, HDT) properties. The thermal measurements have been carried out by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and HDT methods. Dynamic mechanical analysis studies indicated that PP macromolecules were intercalated or exfoliated between the interlayer of silicates. The morphology of nanocomposites was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to find out the arrangement of crystals in the nanocomposites. The SEM and XRD clearly demonstrated the progressive break up of particles and results in decreased particle size with the optimised combination.

Development of Flexible Polyurethane Nanostructured Biocomposite Foams Derived from Palm Olein-Based Polyol

“…Nanocomposites have been used commercially since the world largest car manufacturer, Toyota, introduced the first polymer/clay auto parts in the 1980s [24]. Since then, clay nanocomposites with several polymers such as polypropylene [25,26], polyamide-6 [27], polystyrene [28], poly(methyl methacrylate) [29], poly(ethylene terephthalate) [30], elastomeric polyurethane [31], and polyurethane foam [32][33][34] were explored.…”

Significant Enhancement of Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer by Polymer Blending and Nanoinclusion

“…The improvement in HDT can be explained by the addition of PTFE and the presence of the compatibilizer, which created strong interfacial bonds between the PTFE and matrix blend. Furthermore, increases in the amount of clay suggest that exfoliation occurred by the addition of the clay [26].…”

Experimental investigation and optimization of abrasive wear characteristics of polypropylene nanocomposites

“…The challenge is to disperse the nanoclays in the PP matrix because PP is hydrophobic, while nanoclays are hydrophilic. This phenomenon resulted in an incomplete dispersal of nanoclays in the PP matrix [8]. To overcome this drawback, several authors have used various kind of compatibilizers [9][10][11][12][13][14].…”