Thermal stability and structural characteristics of PTHF–Mmt organophile nanocomposite

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites represent a new class of material alternative to conventionally filled polymers. This new class of material is synthesized from a mixed polymeric matrix at a weak percentage with ontmorillonites as inorganic charges. Their dispersion is facilitated by the organophilization of their structure by the exchange of inside foliar cations with compatilization possessed at once hydrophiles and hydrophobes ends, respectively, to be compatible with clay and polymer. The objective of this study is to use organophilized montmorillonites in the presence of monomer tetrahydrofuran to obtain polytétrahydrofuran montmorillonites (PTHF–Mmt) of composites by polymerization in situ. The organophilisation of the Mmt is formed by active cationic surface.The obtained results show an increase in the distance inside the reticular in the diffractograms of X-rays (DRX) and the appearance of absorption bands of the characteristics of polytétrahydrofuran on the spectra of infrared spectroscopy (IR), which indicate pre-polymerization of tetrahydrofuran in the galleries of clay and, therefore, the obtaining of a nanocomposite. We have also studied the thermal stability of the samples by differential analysis calorimetric (DSC) analysis, and we can conclude that the nanocomposites are stabilized thermally by the presence of clay in the matrix. 2011 King Saud University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved