• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.208-212
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• 2009

The nano-clay is widely used in polymer-nanocomposites due to the high aspect ratio, heat resistance and nano-scale dimension. In recent researches, the thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane foam were improved with introducing the nano-clay. In this study, we describe the influence of ultrasonic treatment and content of nano-clay on properties of polyurethane foam. The nano-clay/polyurethane foam were characterized using their recovery time, compressive deflection, cell morphology and tensile test. The ultrasonic treatment was very effective for dispersion of nano-clay. Moreover, we found that introducing over 3 wt% of nano-clay bring the decrease of properties due to the poor dispersion. Expecially, ultrasonically treated 20A/polyurethane foam(1 wt%) showed greatly improved properties, such as homogeneous cell size and good dimension stability. We expect that our results could be applied to insulating materials for construction.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2006

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.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.256-260
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• 2015

The addition of montmorillonite (MMT) in the UV curable polyurethane diacrylate based resins was investigated to fabricate nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties and water sorption behavior using different photoinitiator systems. As a result, it was observed that 1 wt% of clay loading fairly improved tensile resistance and water uptake behavior. It can be also confirmed that dual photoinitiator system consisted of benzyldimethyl ketal and bisacyl phosphine oxide exhibited enhanced energy absorption band 340~450 nm even with 3 wt% of MMT concentration, which may affect the curing behavior of nanocomposite especially in our UV lamp system.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.18-18
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• 2003

Natural clays are composed of oxide layers whose thickness is about 1nm and cations existing between the layers. A number of these layers makes primary particles with a height of about 8∼10nm and these primary particles make aggregates with a size of about 0.1∼10$\mu\textrm{m}$. When layered silicate was made to be organophilic, by exchanging the interlayer cations with organic cationic molecules, the matrix polymer can penetrate between the layers to give a nanocomposite, where 1nm-scal clay layers exist separately in a continuous polymer matrix. These nanostructured hybrid organic-inorganic composites have attracted the great interest of researchers over the last 10 years. They exhibit improved performance properties compared with conventional composites, because their unique phase morphology by layer intercalation or exfoliation maximizes interfacial contact between the organic and inorganic phases and enhances interfacial properties. Since the advent of nylon-6/montmorillonite nanocomposite developed by Toyota Motor Co., the studies on layered silicate-polymer nanocomposites have been successfully extended to other polymer systems. They greatly improved the thermal, mechanical, barrier, and even the flame-retardant properties of the polymers.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.215-215
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• 2006

The cyclic butylene terephthalte oligomer was synthesized and the composition of butylenes terephthalate cyclic oligomers was 51.2 % of dimer, 28.1 % of trimer, 7.9 % of tetramer, 8 % of pentamer and 4.8% of hexamer. Polybuthylene terephthalate was polymerized using this cyclic oligomer in the condition of melt process and supercritical process. And PBT/clay nanocomposite were manu- factured from melt process and supercritical process. Chlorodifluoro- methane(HCFC-22) was used as a solvent which has critical point ($Tc=96.2^{\circ}C$, Pc=49.7bar). Also polymer nanocomposite were manufactured using rapid expansion of supercritical solution process.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2005

Biodegradable nanocomposites were prepared by mixing a polymer resin and layered silicates by the melt intercalation method. Internal structure of the nanocomposite was characterized by using the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Nanocomposites having exfoliated and intercalated structures were obtained by employing two different organically modified nanoclays. Rheological properties in shear and extensional flows and biodegradability of nanocomposites were measured. In shear flow, shear thinning behavior and increased storage modulus were observed as the clay loading increased. In extensional flow, strain hardening behavior was observed in well dispersed system. Nanocomposites with the exfoliated structure had better biodegradability than nanocomposites with the intercalated structure or pure polymer.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.490-494
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• 2011

Nanocomposites of blends of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and polyamide66 (Nylon66) containing natural and organically modified montmorillonite clays (PM, $Cloisite^{(R)}$ 25A and 15A) were prepared by melt mixing. DSC results showed that the addition of clay changed the crystallization behavior of PET/Nylon66 nanocomposites. Clay C25A was observed to most significantly change the crystallization temperature than other clays in blends of PET and Nylon66, which may be caused by the difference in interaction with matrix polymers. AFM results also showed that the lowest value of surface roughness was observed for nanocomposites containing C25A indicating the smooth and relatively homogenous surface. Mechanical properties measurement showed the similar results. Contact angle was measured to study the difference in hydrophobicity. An increase in contact angle was observed for nanocomposites with C25A or C15A due to the increased hydrophobicity.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.478-485
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• 2012

A series of transparent polyimide (PI) nanocomposite films was synthesized from bicyclo(2,2,2)oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (BAPB) with various organoclay contents via solution intercalation polymerization to poly(amic acid)s, followed by thermal imidization. Varying organoclay loading in a range of 0 to 1.5 wt% produced variations in the optical transparency, morphology, and oxygen barrier property of the hybrids. An optimum oxygen barrier property was observed for the hybrids containing 1.0 wt% Cloisite 30B; these properties were degraded gradually by further increases in the clay content. The PI hybrid films were found to exhibit excellent optical transparency and almost no color. However, the transparency of the hybrid films decreased slightly with increasing organoclay content. Transparent PI hybrid films containing 1.0 wt% Cloisite 30B were stretched equi-biaxially with various stretching ratios in a range of 100-140% to investigate their optical transparency and oxygen permeability in detail; the variations of clay dispersion and morphology were also determined as a function of equi-biaxial stretching ratio. PI hybrid films with ${\geq}120%$ stretching were found to contain homogeneously dispersed clay in the polymer matrix and exfoliated nanocomposites. The highest barrier to oxygen permeation was found at an equi-biaxial stretching ratio of 130%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.72-74
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• 2003

There has been extensive interest in the development of new nanocomposites. One kind of these systems is the hybrid based on organic polymers and inorganic minerals consisting of layered silicates. Some properties like stiffness, strength, barrier properties, thermal, and oxidative stability can be improved by the presence of the filler in the polymeric matrix[1]. It is reported that, in the nylon 6/clay nanocomposites, the modulus is increased, but impact strength and elongation at break are drastically decreased. (omitted)

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.103-108
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• 2002

The viscosity effect of matrix polymer on melt exfoliation behavior of an organoclay in poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. The viscosity of matrix polymer was controlled by changing the molecular weight of poly($\varepsilon$-eaprolactone), the processing temperature, and the rotor speed of a mini-molder. Applied shear stress facilitates the diffusion of polymer chains into the gallery of silicate layers by breaking silicate agglomerates down into smaller primary particles. When the viscosity of PCL is lower, silicate agglomerates are not perfectly broken into smaller primary particles. At higher viscosity, all of silicate agglomerates are broken down into primary particles, and finally into smaller nano-scale building blocks. It was also found that the degree of exfoliation of silicate layers is dependent upon not only the viscosity of matrix but thermodynamic variables.