| Nanocomposites are formed when a compositional change occurs on a nanometer length scale. Toyota research first demonstrated an organoclay exfoliated Nylon-6 polymer matrix which, greatly improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the pristine polymer, in automotive under-the-hood applications. Compared to the conventional composite these improved thermal and mechanical properties were found to be superior due to improved phase morphology and interfacial properties. In the present work, an organic modified silicate is first prepared, then due to favorable hydrophobic interactions, the epoxy system ideally polymerizes within the gallery resulting in an exfoliated clay nanolayers throughout the polymer matrix.; The in-situ intragallery polymerization greatly improves such properties as permeability, tensile strength, storage modulus and glass transition temperatures. Interestingly it was found the organic used to modify the clay was responsible for a decrease in glass transition temperature, while increasing the storage modulus. |
