Influence of Nanodispersed Organoclay on Rheological and Swelling Properties of Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer

The dispersion of organoclay in ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) matrix was correlated with the rheological and swelling properties of nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis exhibited the disordered-intercalated structure of EPDM/organoclay nanocomposite. The extent of the disordered phase increased with increasing organoclay content up to a limiting value of 3 wt% after which equilibrium tended towards intercalation. The dispersion effect of organoclay in EPDM matrix was clarified by the physicochemical properties like rheological response and swelling thermodynamics in toluene. The increase in viscoelastic properties of EPDM nanocomposite with increasing organoclay content up to 3 wt%, followed by a subsequent decrease up to 4 wt%, was correlated in terms of the disordered and ordered states of the dispersed nano-clay sheets. Swelling measurements revealed that the change in entropy of the swelling increased with the increase in disorder level but decreased with the increase in intercalation level of organoclay in the disordered-intercalated nanocomposite. The increase in solvent uptake was comparable with the free volume in EPDM matrix upon inclusion of silicate particles, whereas the inhibition in solvent uptake for higher organoclay loading was described by bridging flocculation.