• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.156-162
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• 2012

Polyurethane (PU)/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by mixing UV curable urethane acrylate oligomer with organoclay, and a subsequent curing by UV irradiation. As organoclays, commercially available Cloisite 20A (C20A) and acrylsilane modified C20A were used. XRD and TEM analyses revealed that the UV cured PU/clay nanocomposites formed intercalated nanocomposites, and acrylsilane modified C20A are dispersed more finely than unmodified C20A in PU matrix. DMTA, pencil hardness and adhesion test onto PET substrate showed that the clay nanolayers induced an increase in the properties, and the enhancement in the properties was more pronounced in the PU/acrylsilane modified C20A nanocomposites than in the PU/unmodified C20A nanocomposites. It was also observed that the PU/surface modified clay nanocomposites showed remarkably lower shrinkage upon UV curing than the unfilled PU. The nanocomposites showed excellent optical transparency but lower gloss as compared to unfilled PU.