Polymer/Silicate Nanocompositea Prepared From Thermally Stable Melamine Amide Salt Treated Organoclay

Thermal stability of polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites has been widely studied. Success in this regard could make the preparation of polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites possible from thermoplastic polymers that require high melt-processing temperatures or long residence times under high shear and from thermoset resins with high cure temperatures. The organoclay was synthesized by the standard cation-exchange reaction between the layered silicates and melamine stearicamide salt and it was characterized by XRD, FTIR, EA and TGA. The XRD showed that the melamine stearicamide was well intercalated into the montmorillonite. The produced organoclay had a high decomposition temperature with greatly improvement in thermal stability.Polymer nanocomposites are formed using melt processing approach which is attractive due to its advantages for commercial production by heated the polymer and organoclay to temperatures above the melting or softening point of the polymer. XRD and TEM showed that the organoclay was well delaminated in polymer matrix. TGA suggested that the PA-6 nanocomposites have significantly improved thermal stabilities well from 250℃to 350℃, so it means the products can stand the associated long residence time necessary to exfoliate the treated MMT into the PA-6 prevented the degradation of the melamine stearicamide. The combination of improved properties, convenient processing and low cost was supposed to have a few commercial applications.