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Liquid-rubber-modified epoxy/clay nanocomposites: effect of dispersion methods on morphology and ultimate properties

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Abstract

Epoxy/clay nanocomposites modified with carboxyl-terminated poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) (CTBN) liquid rubber (epoxy/clay/CTBN nanocomposites) are synthesized using two different pre-mixing techniques: mechanical high shear mixer (homogenizer) and ultrasonication using tip sonicator. The observations suggest that low molecular weight CTBN easily diffuses into clay galleries, thereby increasing the d-spacing in epoxy/clay/CTBN nanocomposites, regardless of pre-mixing method. High shear mixing causes breaking of clay platelets in epoxy/clay/CTBN nanocomposites, leading to a reduction in the aspect ratio. Epoxy/clay/CTBN nanocomposites prepared via sonication have achieved a uniform and stable morphology, in which the clay platelets are dispersed in epoxy matrix in such a way that most of them try to localize near the phase-separated CTBN domains. Thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites are correlated with morphological findings.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank CSIR (New Delhi) for the financial support and Huntsmann for their kind supply of chemicals for the study.

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  1. P. Poornima Vijayan

    Present address: Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarshini Hills P.O., Kottayam, 686 560, Kerala, India

    P. Poornima Vijayan & Sabu Thomas

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Materials Engineering Centre, University of Perugia, Strada di Pentima 4, 05100, Terni, Italy

    Debora Puglia & Jose M. Kenny

  3. Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany

    Jürgen Pionteck

  4. Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selongor, Malaysia

    Sabu Thomas

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Vijayan, P.P., Puglia, D., Pionteck, J. et al. Liquid-rubber-modified epoxy/clay nanocomposites: effect of dispersion methods on morphology and ultimate properties. Polym. Bull. 72, 1703–1722 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-015-1365-9

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