The effect of processing on the PVC/clay nanocomposites structure

Abstract

Reported nanocomposites of poly(vinyl chloride) have been prepared using bentonite-based clay, Na-montmorillonite (nature clay) and organophilic clay 30B. Polymer nanocomposites of differing compositions were produced using Buss KO-kneader via melt intercalation method. The effect of different type of plasticizer (both low molecular and high molecular) and compounding conditions on the structure of PVC/clay nanocomposites was investigated. Different compounding conditions were tested to study their influence on nanoparticles dispersion, orientation and exfoliation in PVC/clay nanocomposites. The structure of PVC/MMT nanocomposites was observed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy). It was found that the Na-montmorillonite offer low exfoliation level, while 30B modified by plasticizer exhibits fine dispersion of partial to nearly full exfoliated MMT. Moreover the processing conditions play also important role in nanocomposite production.