Preparation of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites Composed of Sustainable Organo-Modified Needlelike Nanoparticles and Their Particle Dispersion States in the Matrix |
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Authors: | Shuhei Hirayama Takuto Hayasaki Rei Okano Atsuhiro Fujimori |
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Affiliation: | 1. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan;2. Faculty of Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama, 338-8570 Japan;3. R & D Department Laboratory Additive Unit, Kusumoto Chemicals Ltd., 4-18-6, Benten, Soka-shi Saitama, 340-0004 Japan |
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Abstract: | Polymer-based nanohybrid materials were created using sustainable sepiolite clay composed from ubiquitous elements. Although sepiolite is generally recognized as a fibrous natural clay mineral, it turned out to be an acicular microcrystal because of the organo-modification of the outermost surface. Surface modification was performed using phosphonic acid derivatives containing hydrocarbon chains or fluorocarbon chains. Formation of a bidentate bond enhanced the desorption temperature and made nanocomposite preparation possible by melt compounding with polymers having a high melting point. As a result of organo-modification, amphiphilic sepiolite was obtained, and nanodispersion in an organic solvent was achieved. This technology was useful for detailed evaluation of sepiolite morphology. The nanocomposite of crystalline polymers/organo-modified sepiolites achieved uniform dispersion of these nanofillers in the matrix polymer. The introduction of 1 wt% nanofillers did not impair the transparency of the matrix polymer. As a result, a lamellae structure of the polymer developed, the crystallinity increased, and the mechanical properties improved. In addition, the crystallization temperature was improved, indicating that organo-modified sepiolites may act as a nucleating agent. It was found that sepiolite nanofiller with a highly aggregated tendency can achieve a well-nanodispersed state, even in phase-separable fluoropolymers, by applying fluorocarbon modification. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:541–552, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers |
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