• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.375-380
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• 2002

Diamines (p-phenylenediamine , m-phenylenediamine , and n-hexamethylenediamine) were intercalated into sodium montmorillonite for the further reaction with the anhydride end groups of polyamic acid. The anhydride terminated polyamic acid was synthesized using a mole ratio of 4,4'-oxydianilline : 1,2,4,5-benzene tetracarboxylic dianhydride = 1.50 : 1.53. The modified montmorillonite was reacted with polyamic acid terminated with anhydride group in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (polyamic acid/clay nanocomposite). After imidization, thin films of the polyimide/clay nanocomposite were prepared. From the results of XRD and TEM, we found that mono layered silicates were dispersed in polyimide matrix and those resultants were exfoliated nanocomposites. Mechanical properties of exfoliated polyimide nanocomposite were better than both those of pure polyimide and those of intercalated polyimide nanocomposite.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2013

Exfoliated graphite (EFG) with high aspect ratio was incorporated with high density polyethylene (HDPE) for use as high barrier packaging material such as water-sensitivity electric product and pharmaceutical packaging. Also HDPE/EFG nanocomposite films were prepared by adding the compatibilizer for effective dispersion and compatibility. Their chemical properties, crystal structure properties, thermal properties and water barrier properties of as-prepared HDPE/EFG nanocomposite films were investigated as a function of EFG contents. It showed that there is a weak interfacial interaction between HDPE and EFG, however, the water vapor permeations were decreased from 127 to 78 (70 ${\mu}m{\cdot}g/m^2$, $day{\cdot}atm$) by addition of EFG. Especially, the physical properties of HDPE/EFG nanocomposite films were effectively increased up to 0.5 wt%, however, there were no significant improvement of properties in nanocomposite films at the additional EFG loading. To maximize their performance of the nanocomposite films, further research is required to enhance the dispersion of EFG and compatibility of EFG in HDPE matrix.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.243-250
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• 2003

Poly(methyl methacrylate)/clay nanocomposite particles with particle size of 275${\sim}$292 nm range were successfully prepared using emulsion polymerization. The content of montmorillonite based on the methyl methacrylate monomer was chosen as 30 wt.%. 2,2-azobis(isobuthylamidine hydrochloride) and n-dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride were used as an initiator and a surfactant in cationic emulsion system. Potassium persulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate were used as an initiator and a surfactant in anionic emulsion system. The evidence of intercalated /exfoliated structure of montmorillonite in the nanocomposite prepared in our experiment was confirmed by wide angle x-ray diffraction patterns of $d_{001}$ plane. Thermal behavior of nanocomposite was traced using DSC and TGA. It was found that the nanocomposite particle prepared by cationic emulsion system showed intercalated structured. We also found that the nanocomposite particle obtained from anionic emulsion system resulted in the fully exfoliated structure.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.97-101
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• 2003

Polymer/silicate nanocomposites were prepared via two-step manufacturing process: a master batch preparation and then mixing with matrix polymer. A hybrid of PMMA and Na-MMT with exfoliated structure was first prepared by emulsion polymerization of MMA in the presence of Na-MMT. For the case that SAN24, miscible with PMMA, is used as matrix, we could prepare a nanocomposite with exfoliated structure. However, SAN31 nanocomposite shows the aggregation and/or reordering of the silicate layers due to the immiscibility between SAN31 and PMMA.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2007

A poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/organosilicate nanocomposite, with enhanced mechanical properties, has been prepared using the melt intercalation method. For this purpose, a new organic modifier has been synthesized for the preparation of organosilicate, which is thermally stable and compatible with PET. The use of the new organosilicate yielded almost exfoliated PET nanocomposite; whereas, the PET nanocomposites prepared by use of commercial organoclays (Cloisite 15A and 30B) show only an intercalated morphology. Particularly, the use of the new organosilicate showed an enhanced tensile modulus, and without sacrifice of the tensile strength and elongation on breaking, while the use of commercial organoclays only exhibit a trade-off between those 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.11-15
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• 2003

In order to suppress a repulsive interfacial energy between hydrophilic clay and hydrophobic polymer matrix in preparing a polymer/clay nanocomposite, a third component of amphiphilic nature such as poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) was introduced into the model system of styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN)/Na-montmorillonite. Once $\varepsilon$-caprolactone was polymerized in the presence of Na-rnontmorillonite, the successful ring-opening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone and the well-developed exfoliated structure of PCL/Na-montmorillonite mixture were confirmed, Thereafter, SAN was melt-mixed with PCL/Na-montmorillonite nanocomposite, which resulted in that SAN matrix and PCL fraction were completely miscible to form homogeneous mixture with retention of the exfoliated state of Na-montmorillonite, exhibiting that PCL effectively stabilizes the repulsive polymer/clay interface and contributes the improvement of mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2010

Graphene is one of the most promising materials for many applications. It can be used in a variety of applications not only as a reinforcement material for polymer to obtain a combination of desirable mechanical, electrical, thermal, and barrier properties in the resulting nanocomposite but also as a component in energy storage, fuel cells, solar cells, sensors, and batteries. Recent research at Michigan State University has shown that it is possible to exfoliate natural graphite into graphite nanoplatelets composed entirely of stacks of graphene. The size of the platelets can be controlled from less than 10 nm in thickness and diameters of any size from sub-micron to 15 microns or greater. In this study we have investigated the influence of melt compounding processing on the physical properties of a polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposite reinforced with exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP). The morphology, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of xGnP-PA6 nanocomposite were characterized with electrical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, AC impedance, and mechanical properties. It was found that counter rotation (CNR) twins crew processed xGnP/PA6 nanocomposite had similar mechanical properties with co-rotation (CoR) twin screw processed or with CoR conducted with a screw design modified for nanoparticles (MCoR). Microscopy showed that the CNR processed nanocomposite had better xGnP dispersion than the (CoR) twin screw processed and modified screw (MCoR) processed ones. It was also found that the CNR processed nanocomposite at a given xGnP content showed the lowest graphite X-ray diffraction peak at $26.5^{\circ}$ indicating better xGnP dispersion in the nanocomposite. In addition, it was also found that the electrical conductivity of the CNR processed 12 wt.% xGnP-PA6 nanocomposite is more than ten times higher than the CoR and MCoR processed ones. These results indicate that better dispersion of an xGnP-PA6 nanocomposite is attainable in CNR twins crew processing than conventional CoR processing.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.621-627
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• 2013

In order to apply eco-friendly poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) into barrier packaging materials, six different PPC/exfoliated graphite (EFG) nanocomposite films with different EFG were successfully prepared by a solution blending method. Their water sorption behavior was gravimetrically investigated as a function of the EFG content and interpreted with respect to their chemical structure and morphology. The water sorption isotherms were reasonably well fitted by Fickian diffusion model, regardless of morphological heterogeneities. With increasing the EFG content, the diffusion coefficient and water uptake decreased from $12.5{\times}10^{-10}cm^2sec^{-1}$ to $7.2{\times}10^{-10}cm^2sec^{-1}$ and from 8.9 wt% to 4.2 wt%, respectively, which indicates that the moisture resistance capacity of PPC was greatly enhanced by incorporating EFG into PPC. The enhanced water barrier property of the PPC/EFG nanocomposite films with the high aspect ratio EFG makes them potential candidates for versatile packaging applications. However, to maximize the performance of the nanocomposite films, further researches are required to increase the compatibility of EFG in the PPC matrix.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.410-417
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• 2003

Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylonitrile) [P(MMA-co-AN)]/Na-MMT nanocomposites were synthesized through emulsion polymerization with pristine Na-MMT. The nanocomposites were exfoliated up to 20 wt% content of pristine Na-MMT relative to the amount of MMA and AN, and exhibited enhanced storage moduli, E', relative to the neat copolymer. The exfoliated morphology of the nanocomposite was confirmed by XRD and TEM. 2-Acryla-mido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) widened the galleries between the clay layers before polymerization and facilitated the comonomers, penetration into the clay to create the exfoliated nanocomposites. The onset of the thermal decomposition of the nanocomposites shifted to a higher temperature as the clay content increased. By calculating areas of tan$\delta$ of the nanocomposites, we observed that the nanocomposites show more solid-like behavior as the clay content increases. The dynamic storage modulus and complex viscosity increased with clay content. The complex viscosity showed shear-thinning behavior as the clay content increased. The Young's moduli of the nano-composites are higher than that of the neat copolymer and they increase steadily as the silicate content increases, as a result of the exfoliated structure at high clay content.