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Morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of aramid/layered silicate nanocomposite materials

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Abstract

Aramid-based nanocomposites were prepared by solution intercalation techniques using p-aminobenzoic acid-modified montmorillonite. Polyamide was synthesized by reacting 4,4′-oxydianiline with isophthaloyl chloride in dimethyl acetamide. To create chemical interactions between the two phases for better dispersion of organoclay, aramid chains were selectively amine end-capped. The influence of organically modified clay on the morphology was investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mechanical, thermal, and water uptake measurements were carried out to further verify other physical properties of the nanocomposites. Tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break, and toughness were improved relative to pure polymer with the addition of 6 wt% organoclay. Thermal-decomposition temperatures of the nanocomposites were in the range 300–450 °C. Water uptake of neat aramid film was rather high (5.7%) and decreased with augmenting organoclay. DSC exhibited increase in the glass transition temperature (118 °C) up to addition of 16 wt% of organoclay.

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Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the financial support provided by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) through project research grant 20-23-ACAD (R) 03-410. S. Zulfiqar is thankful to HEC for awarding her fellowship under the “International Research Support Initiative Program” to pursue research work at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz, Germany. Special thanks are due to Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wegner, Director, MPI-P, for providing the characterization facilities for the completion of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Sonia Zulfiqar & Muhammad Ilyas Sarwar

  2. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128, Mainz, Germany

    Ingo Lieberwirth

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, Safat, 13060, Kuwait

    Zahoor Ahmad

Authors
  1. Sonia Zulfiqar
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  2. Muhammad Ilyas Sarwar
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  4. Zahoor Ahmad
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Correspondence to Muhammad Ilyas Sarwar.

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Zulfiqar, S., Sarwar, M.I., Lieberwirth, I. et al. Morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of aramid/layered silicate nanocomposite materials. Journal of Materials Research 23, 2296–2304 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2008.0301

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