Preparation Of Polypropylene (PP)/Layered Inorganic Filler (LIF) Nanocomposites Using Solid State Shear Milling (S～3M) Method

Since a clay-reinforced nylon nanocomposite with excellent properties was developed by the Toyota group, much attention has been paid to develope layered silicate as a reinforcement material for polymers. The preparation method is called intercalation compounding. However, there are some challenges for the intercalation technology, for example, some layered fillers, such as talc, cannot be exfoliated by treating with organic ligands because they have tight interlayer structure and have neither residual surface charges nor interlayer cations for such treatment, and it is also very difficult to get apolar polymer–based nanocomposite, such as PP/clay nanocomposite, by melt intercalation. New methods for the preparation of polymer/layered inorganic filler nanocomposite are needed. In this study, solid state shear milling (S3M) method was used to prepare polymer/layered inorganic filler nanocomposite without any compatibilizer and/or treatment of layered inorganic filler. PP/OMMT, PP/vermiculite, PP/talc, PP/MMT and PA6/MMT nanocomposites were successfully prepared using S3M method without any compatibilizer and/or treatment of filler. The structures of composites were investigated. The crystallization, thermal and mechanical properties of composites...