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Nanoclay dispersion in a miscible blend: an assessment through rheological analysis

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Abstract

In this study, miscible polymer blend nanocomposite of Poly(ethylene oxide)/Poly(methyl methacrylate), (PEO/PMMA), with sodium montmorillonite (Na+-MMT) clay were prepared at a constant concentration of nanoparticles via different solution intercalation methods. The resultant nanocomposites possess different structure and dispersion of Na+-MMT clays which are assessed through a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The rheology of the neat blend and two different layered silicate nanocomposites were investigated using linear viscoelastic measurements with a parallel plate rheometry at small strain amplitudes. It was found that regardless of the extent of dispersion, the storage and loss modulus increased by incorporating the nanoparticles into the matrix of PEO/PMMA. Moreover, at low frequencies the rheological response of the nanocomposite in which layered silicates benefit from a better dispersion becomes relatively invariant with frequency and represents a mediocre solid-like behavior in comparison to the nanocomposite in which the nanoparticles are intercalated or agglomerated.

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Acknowledgment

Partial financial support from the Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative and vise-president for research and technology of University of Tehran is gratefully appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Polymer, School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155–4563, Tehran, Iran

    Mahdi Ghelichi & Seyed Hassan Jafari

  2. Department of Polymer, School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155–6455, Tehran, Iran

    Nader Taheri Qazvini

  3. Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, P.O. Box 14965–115, Tehran, Iran

    Hossein Ali Khonakdar

  4. Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069, Dresden, Germany

    Uta Reuter

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  1. Mahdi Ghelichi
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  2. Nader Taheri Qazvini
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  3. Seyed Hassan Jafari
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  4. Hossein Ali Khonakdar
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  5. Uta Reuter
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Correspondence to Nader Taheri Qazvini.

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Ghelichi, M., Taheri Qazvini, N., Jafari, S.H. et al. Nanoclay dispersion in a miscible blend: an assessment through rheological analysis. J Polym Res 19, 9830 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9830-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9830-8

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