• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.545-549
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• 2006

Blends of poly(acrylic acid- co-maleic acid) (PAM) with poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were pre -pared in distilled water PVA/PAM/saponite (PVA/PAM/SPT) nanocomposite films were prepared with various clay contents by using the solution intercalation method. The variations of the dispersion, morphology, and thermo-mechanical properties of the nanocomposites with clay content in the range 0 to 9 wt% were examined. Up to 3 wt% clay loading, the clay particles were homogeneously dispersed in the PVA/PAM blends. However, some agglomerated structures form in the polymer matrix above a clay content of 7 wt%. The thermal stability of the hybrids was increased linearly with increasing the clay loading up to 9 wt%. The maximum strength and modulus were obtained at a clay content of 7 wt%. Thus, the addition of small amounts of clay to the PVA/PAM blends produced PVA/PAM nano-composites with improved the thermo-mechanical properties.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.797-806
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• 2009

The mechanical and thermal behaviors of polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites were studied using the continuum-based, micromechanical models such as Mori-Tanaka, Halpin-Tsai and shear lag. Mechanic-based model prediction provides a better understanding regarding the dependence of the nanocomposites' reinforcement efficiency on conventional filler structural parameters such as filler aspect ratio ($\alpha$), filler orientation (S), filler weight fraction (${\Psi}_f$), and filler/matrix stiffness ratio ($E_f/E_m$). For an intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposite, an effective, filler-based, micromechanical model that includes effective filler structural parameters, the number of platelets per stack (n) and the silicate inter-layer spacing ($d_{001}$), is proposed to describe the mesoscopic intercalated filler and the nanoscopic exfoliated filler. The proposed model nicely captures the experimental modulus behaviors for both intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites. In addition, the model prediction of the heat distortion temperature is examined for nanocomposites with different filler aspect ratio. The predicted heat distortion temperature appears to be reasonable compared to the heat distortion temperature obtained by experimental tests. Based on both the experimental results and model prediction, the reinforcement efficiency and heat resistance of the polyamide-6/clay nanocomposites definitely depend on both conventional (${\alpha},\;S,\;{\Psi}_f,\;E_f/E_m$) and effective (n, $d_{001}$) filler structural parameters.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.382-387
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• 2013

Biodegradable polyurethane (PU)/clay nanocomposite films were prepared via extrusion compounding process followed by casting film process. Organically modified montmorillonite (denoted as C30B) with a large amount of hydroxyl groups on its surface was used for the formation of strong bonding with PU resin. From both XRD analysis and TEM observations, the intercalated and exfoliated structure, and dispersion state of silicate platelets in the compounded nanocomposite films were confirmed. In addition, the rheological and tensile properties, optical transparency, oxygen permeability of the prepared nanocomposites were investigated as a function of added nanoclay content, and moreover based on these results, the corelation between the morphology and the resulting properties of the nanocomposites could be presented. The inclusion of nanoclays at appropriate content resulted in remarkable improvement in the nanocomposite performance including tensile modulus, elongation, transparency, and oxygen barrier property, however at excess amount of nanoclays, reduction or very slight increase was observed due to poor dispersion. The biodegradability of the prepared nanocomposite film was evaluated by examining the deterioration in the barrier and tensile properties during degradation period under compost.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2005

In this study, low density polyethylene/organo-clay nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending. Thermal property, structure, and morphology of the LDPE/organo-clay nanocomposites were investigated. When the composition ratios of the compounds of LDPE/PE-g-MA/organo-clay were 90/10/1~10 (w/w/w), X-ray diffractograms of LDPE/organo-clay nanocomposites revealed that the intercalation of polymer chains lead to increase the spacing between clay layers. TEM microphotographs showed that LDPE was intercalated into organo-clay. TGA performed under air atmosphere demonstrated a great increase in thermal stability of the LDPE/organo-clay nanocomposties. The maximum decomposition temperature of LDPE/organo-clay nanocomposite was increased about $80^{\circ}C$ compared with pure LDPE. When the organo-clay contents were 1.0~5.0 wt%, the LOI values were increased with increasing the organo-clay content, but in the case of the contents more than 5.0 wt%, the LOI values were not increased any more.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.392-395
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• 2003

Phosrhonium salt exchanged montmorillonites were prepared from a reaction between alkyl triphenyl phosponium bromide and Na$^{＋}$-montmorillonite. Epoxy-clay nanocomposites were also prepared by using cycloaliphtic epoxy, methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride as a hardener, and triphenyl butyl phosphonium bromide as an accelerator. TEM and XRD results suggested that clay minerals in the epoxy-montmorillonites composite were intercalated. Mechanical properties such as tensile modulus and strength were measured and the effect of nanocomposite formation was also discussed.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.359-359
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• 2006

This study deals with development of new bio-based polymeric materials from epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). The curing of ESO in the presence of organophilic montmorillonite produced an oil polymer-clay nanocomposite ("green nanocomposite") showing flexible property. A green nanocomposite (oil polymer-silica nanocomposite) coatings were synthesized by an acidcatalyzed curing of ESO with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. The curing of ESO in the presence of a biodegradable plastic, poly(caprolactone), produced a composite with semi-IPN structure. The mechanical properties of the composite was much superior to those of polyESO. These new oil-based materials have large potential for applications in various fields.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Rheology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.85-88
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• 2001

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.175-181
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• 2014

In this paper, the simulation and modeling of a polyethylene/clay nanocomposite were undertaken to predict the nanocomposite's dielectric behavior and to help design a nanocomposite material with optimum electrical properties for electrotechnical or electronic applications. A 3-D simulation model using the finite elements method was employed in order to study the effective permittivity and electric field distribution of two-phase nanocomposite materials for ordered and random distributions of inclusions in a low-loss host matrix such as polyethylene. The influence of the dispersion of reinforcing particles, and of the permittivity and radius of the inclusions, was analysed. The simulation results were compared with alternative, known theoretical solutions obtained from classical models, and were found to be in good agreement. The numerical results also indicate that for fixed volume fractions of nanoparticles the effective permittivity of the mixture, for ordered and random distributions, does not vary with the degree of dispersion. The variation of the effective permittivity with the particle radius is shown, using numerical data, to agree with the analytical modules.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.553-557
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• 2011

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/waterborne polyurethane (WBPU)/montmorillonite clay (MMT) nanocomposite nanofibers were prepared using electrospinning technique of aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analyzer were used to characterize the morphology and properties of the nanocomposite nanofibers. Since PVA, WBPU and MMT are hydrophilic, non-toxic and biocompatible materials, these nanocomposite nanofibers can be used for filter and medical industries as wound dressing materials, antimicrobial filters, etc.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.260-266
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• 2003

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/clay nanocomposites were synthesized by blending a solution of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer containing 12% vinyl acetate abbreviated as EVA-12 in toluene and dispersion of dodecyl ammonium ion intercalated montmorillonite (l2Me-MMT) in N,N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAc). X-ray patterns of sodium montmorillonite ($Na^+$-MMT) and 12Me-MMT exhibited $d_{001}$ peak at $2{\theta}=7.4^{\circ}$ and $2{\theta}=5.6^{\circ}$ respectively; that is, the interlayer spacing of MMT increased by about 0.39 nm due to intercalation of dodecyl ammonium ions. The XRD trace of EVA showed no peak in the angular range of $3-10^{\circ}(2{\theta})$. In the XRD patterns of EVA/clay hybrids with clay content up to 6 wt% the basal reflection peak of 12Me-MMT was absent. leading to the formation of delaminated configuration of the composites. When the 12Me-MMT content was 8 wt% in the EVA-12 matrix, the hybrid revealed a peak at about $2{\theta}=5.6^{\circ}$, owing to the aggregation of aluminosilicate layers. Transmission electron microscopic photograph exhibited that an average size of 12-15 nm clay layers were randomly and homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix, which led to the formation of nanocomposite with delaminated configuration. The formation of delaminated nanocomposites was manifested through the enhancement of mechanical properties and thermal stability, e.g. tensile strength of an hybrid containing only 2 wt% 12Me-MMT was enhanced by about 36% as compared with neat EVA-12.