Preparation And Application Of Polyacrylamide-Halloysite Nanotubes Composites

In recent years, methods that Polymers-Inorganic Composites are prepared bycompounding, assembling and hybrid inorganic nanoscale particles and polymers haveattracted extensive attention. Halloysite nanotubes （HNTs） is a natural nanotubular withhollow structure; and it is right appropriate to prepare polymers-HNTs composites for largespace in HNTs’ lumen and HNTs’ high aspect ratio. Acrylamide Polymers （AM） are widelyused in papermaking industry as dyr strength agent, retentnion and drainage agent, andflocculant. In this paper, we innovatively compound AM and HNTs with an unique method toprepare PAM-HNTs composites; and its applications on paper industry is researched as well.At the basis of study of HNTs’ properties, Acrylamide （AM） monomers are loaded intoHNTs’ lumen with vacuum loading technology to make PAM-HNTs matrix precursor（HNTs-AM）. And then, HNTs-AM is initiated by （NH₄）₂S₂O₈/NaHSO₃to conduct thepolymerization. Finally, PAM-HNTs composites are prepared. In the end of paper, we conductresearch of PAM-HNTs’ application on papermaking industry. Here are the Experiments’results.1. Properties of HNTs are studied. it shows that HNTs is a hollow nano-tubular curled from aKaolin layers and that HNTs has a length of500¹50nm, outer diameter of30⁵0nm, innerdiameter of10²0nm. TGA analysis shows that HNTs has lose none of weight during roomtemperature to500℃. FTIR analysis shows that HNTs possesses groups of Al-OH, Si-OH,-OH, Si-O-Si, H-O-H, Al-O-Si and so on. Particle size analysis shows that length distributionof HNTs is concentrated in531nm while outer diameter in53nm.2. Using TGA data to calculate concentration of AM loaded into lumen of HNTs is effectivewhen compared TGA data of HNTs and AM. The optimal conditions of preparation ofHNTs-AM matrix precursor are loading time=5h; AM concentration=2wt%; AM:HNTs=1:10;water:alchhol=10:1. Under the optimal conditions, HNTs-AM with AM/HNTs=6%isproduced.3. HNTs-AM are used to prepare PAM-HNTs composites, and the optimal conditions are that（NH₄）₂S₂O₈-NaHSO₃=10wt%（to AM’s concentration; and （NH₄）₂S₂O₈:NaHSO₃=1:1（wt%））;and AM¹:AM⁰=1:1; and Time=3h; and Temperature=50℃. 4. PAM-HNTs composites are characterized. FTIR analysis shows that there are few residualAM onto the outer shell of HNTs, and that hydrogen bonding between HNTs, PAM isoccurred because of Blue Shift of PAM-HNTs. PAM-HNTs’ particle size analysis shows thatHNTs lumen is passed through and orderly connected by PAM chains. Particle size ofPAM-HNTs is larger than that of HNTs.5. Difference and effects on properties of filled paper are studied when PAM-HNTs, HNTs,HNTs-AM, PCC are used as paper fillers. The results show that PAM-HNTs composite fillersconduct the best performance than other fillers on properties and ash content of filled paper.The structure advantages of PAM-HNTs are researched via particle size, SEM analysis, and itdemonstrates that PAM-HNTs has a practical value in the paper fillers market. Theorthogonal experiments’ results show that PAM-HNTs has a potential application on highratio to fibers as paper fillers.