• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2003

Various applied-mineralogical characterization including measurements of surface area, size distribution, swelling index, and viscosity were done for some domestic bentonites in order to decipher the rheological properties and their controlling factors. The bentonites, which are Ca-type and relatively low-grade (rnontmorillonite contents: 30 ∼ 75 wt%), occur mostly as subhedral lamellas with the size range of 2 ∼ 4 $\mu\textrm{m}$. The size distribution of mineral fractions in bentonite suspension is dominant in the range of 10 ∼ 100 $\mu\textrm{m}$, and though rather complicated, exhibits roughly bimodal patterns. The feature is more conspicuous in the case of zeolitic bentonite. The bentonites have surface areas ranging 269 ∼ 735 $\m^2$/g, which are measured by EGME adsorption method. The EGME surface areas are nearly proportional to the rnontmorillonite contents, moisture contents, or total CEC. In the surface area measurements, zeolitic bentonites have slightly higher values than those zeolite- free types. The measured swelling index and viscosity of domestic bentonites are comparatively low in values. The swelling values of bentonites were measured to be 250∼500% at maximum by progressively mixing amounts of 2 ∼ 5 wt% Na$_2$CO$_3$, which varies depending on the contents of rnontmorillonite and other impurities, especially zeolite. Much amount of sodium carbonate is required for optimum swelling property of zeolitic bentonited which has usually strong Na- exchanged capacity. The bentonites, which are comparatively feldspar-rich and low in size and crystallinity, tend to be higher in viscosity values. Tn addition, the viscosity is largely higher in case of the bentonites with higher pH in suspension. However, the rheological properties of bentonites such as swelling index and viscosity do not show any obvious relationships with rnontmorillonite contents and mean particle size in suspension. In contrast, roughly speaking, the swelling index of bentonites is reversely proportional to the values of surface area which can be regarded as a collective physico-chemical parameter encompassing all the effects caused by mineral composition, surface charge, particle size, morphological farm, and etc. in bentonites. Thus, the rheological properties in bentonite suspension appear to be rather complicated characteristics which mainly depend on the flocculation of clay particles and the mode of particle association, i.e. quasicrystals, controlled by surface charge, morphology, size, and texture of rnon-tmorillonite, and which partly affected by the finer impurities such as zeolite.

• 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.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.380-384
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• 2005

Fluoroalkyl methacrylate and acrylic acid were bulk radical copolymerized in the presence of pure sodium montmorillonite or macromer intercalated sodium montmorilonite to get a fluorinated acrylic ionomer/sodium montmorillonite composite, and their physical properties, such as X-ray diffraction pattern, tensile properties, and water uptake, were examined. These composites were used to preparean ionic acrylic polymer-platinum composite (IPMC). The current and deformation responses of these IPMCs by external voltage applied across the platinum electrodes deposited on both sides of IPMC showed that the cation migration from anode to cathode was suppressed in the presence of sodium montmorillonite, causing reduced current and deformation.