Polymer–montmorillonite clay nanocomposites. Part 1: Complexation of montmorillonite clay with a vinyl monomer

An organo‐clay complex was formed by the exchange reaction of a quaternary ammonium salt of a derivatized styrene monomer with Na⁺‐montmorillonite clay. The binding of the derivatized styrene monomer with the montmorillonite clay was confirmed by FTIR and the diffused reflectance analysis. The increase of the d‐spacing of the derivatized styrene‐N⁺–montmorillonite clay complex to 1.47 nm, measured by X‐ray diffraction, indicates that a monolayer of the monomer is adsorbed between adjacent montmorillonite layers. A molecular modeling of the monomer suggested a benzene ring tilted to the c‐axis of the montmorillonite clay. The carbon content of the styrene‐N⁺–montmorillonite clay of 11.02 % suggested a complete surface coverage of the clay by the monomer and a surface coverage of 0.74 nm² per exchange site of the montmorillonite. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Hyperbranched polymer/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

Two to four pseudo-generation aliphatic hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) with -OH end-groups have been solution processed with various types of montmorillonite (MMT) layered alumino-silicate clays, and carefully dried to produce solid HBP/MMT nanocomposites. Exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained by processing the polyester HBPs with up to 20 wt% Na⁺ MMT in water, and intercalation only became dominant at higher loadings, for which the MMT layer spacing was directly dependent on the HBP pseudo-generation number. Intercalation was observed at much lower MMT contents in HBPs processed with different organically modified MMTs in THF. In this case, the absolute MMT layer spacings in the nanocomposites showed little apparent dependence on the nature of the organic modifier and the pseudo-generation number of the HBP, although the difference between the final layer spacing and its value prior to mixing increased significantly with the polarity of the organic modifier. The various HBP/MMT nanocomposites were incorporated into polyurethane formulations by melt processing in the presence of a low molar mass polyol or solution processing in THF. Na⁺MMT contents as low as 1.2 wt% led to an increase in the rubbery plateau modulus by about 60% with respect to that of the corresponding unfilled matrix, whereas much smaller relative increases were observed with unexfoliated or partly exfoliated MMT.     

Nanofibrillated cellulose,poly(vinyl alcohol), montmorillonite clay hybrid nanocomposites with superior barrier and thermomechanical properties

Nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), and montmorillonite (MMT) clay were prepared via solvent casting. In addition to investigating the effect of clay loading, PVA matrices crosslinked with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were prepared and compared with linear (noncrosslinked) PVA nanocomposites. ¹³C NMR and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of crosslinks. Scanning electron microscopy revealed effective NFC and MMT clay dispersion throughout the nanocomposites, while X‐ray diffraction highlighted the effectiveness of PAA to encourage clay dispersion. MMT clay provided a barrier against the diffusion of water and oxygen (molecules) through the nanocomposite films. Permeability and adsorption were further reduced by crosslinking, while oxygen barrier properties were remarkably enhanced at elevated relative humidities. Thermal stability of the PVA segments was strengthened by the presence of MMT clay and crosslinks. MMT clay–reinforced PVA and NFC within the films, increasing the Young's modulus, tensile strength, and glass transition temperature. Crosslinking further enhanced the thermomechanical properties by imparting physical restraints on polymer chain segments, providing elasticity, and ductility. The hybrid films were successfully reinforced at elevated humidities, with nanocomposites displaying enhanced storage moduli and near‐complete recovery. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1117–1131, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Orientation of montmorillonite clay in dicyclopentadiene/organically modified clay dispersions and nanocomposites

Highly delaminated dispersions of the organically modified clay I‐28 (Nanocor, Inc.) in liquid dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) were prepared. In situ ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of I‐28/DCPD nanodispersions generated I‐28/poly(DCPD) nanocomposites. When clay/DCPD dispersions were cured under shear, alignment of clay platelets, tactoids, and small particles was captured. This orientation was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The Herman's orientation parameters were calculated for the oriented nanocomposites. Viscosities of these liquid nanodispersions exhibited thixotropic flow behavior, prior to curing. The time‐dependent viscosity effects became more pronounced with an increase in delamination. Initial viscosities increased with progressive clay platelet generation during delamination and nanodispersion within the liquid monomer. Viscosity can be used to follow clay exfoliation/delamination. Etching the surface of a 2 wt % I‐28 clay/poly(DCPD) nanocomposite with oxygen plasma eroded the matrix, exposing clay tactoids protruding from the surface. These surfaces were examined by SEM and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 2743–2751, 2006     

Rheology of silicon carbide/vinyl ester nanocomposites

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles with no surface treatment raise the viscosity of a vinyl ester resin much more intensely than micrometer‐size SiC particles. An effective dispersant generally causes a reduction in the resin viscosity attributed to its surface‐active properties and thereby increases the maximum fraction of particles that can be introduced. This article assesses the rheological behavior of SiC‐nanoparticle‐filled vinyl ester resin systems with the Bingham, power‐law, Herschel–Bulkley, and Casson models. The maximum particle loading corresponding to infinite viscosity has been determined to be a 0.1 volume fraction with the (1 ? η_r^?1/2)–? dependence (where η_r is the relative viscosity and ? is the particle volume fraction). The optimum fractional weight percentage of the dispersants (wt % dispersant/wt % SiC) is around 40% for 30‐nm SiC nanoparticles, which is much higher than 1–3% for micrometer‐size particles. SiC nanoparticles at a concentration of 9.2 wt % (0.03 volume fraction) cause a fourfold increase in the resin viscosity. The addition of a dispersant at the optimum dosage lowers the viscosity of SiC/vinyl ester suspensions by 50%. The reduction in the viscosity is substantial to improve the processability of SiC/vinyl ester nanocomposites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4365–4371, 2006     

Structural characterization of hydrophilic polymer blends/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

The nanocomposite films comprising polymer blends of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with montmorillonite (MMT) clay as nanofiller were prepared by aqueous solution casting method. The X‐ray diffraction studies of the PVA–x wt % MMT, (PVA–PVP)–x wt % MMT, (PVA–PEO)–x wt % MMT and (PVA–PEG)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites containing MMT concentrations x = 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 wt % of the polymer weight were carried out in the angular range (2θ) of 3.8–30°. The values of MMT basal spacing d₀₀₁, expansion of clay gallery width W_cg, d‐spacing of polymer spherulite, crystallite size L and diffraction peak intensity I were determined for these nanocomposites. The values of structural parameters reveal that the linear chain PEO and PEG in the PVA blend based nanocomposites promote the amount of MMT intercalated structures, and these structures are found relatively higher for the (PVA–PEO)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites. It is observed that the presence of bulky ester‐side group in PVP backbone restricts its intercalation, whereas the adsorption behavior of PVP on the MMT nanosheets mainly results the MMT exfoliated structures in the (PVA–PVP)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites. The crystallinities of the PEO and PEG were found low due to their blending with PVA, which further decreased anomalously with the increase of MMT concentration in the nanocomposites. The decrease of polymer crystalline phase of these materials confirmed their suitability in preparation of novel solid polymer nanocomposite electrolytes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40617.     

Epoxy‐montmorillonite clay nanocomposites: Synthesis and characterization

Nanocomposites of epoxy resin with montmorillonite clay were synthesized by swelling of different proportions of the clay in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A followed by in situ polymerization with aromatic diamine as a curing agent. The montmorillonite was modified with octadecylamine and made organophilic. The organoclay was found to be intercalated easily by incorporation of the epoxy precursor and the clay galleries were simultaneously expanded. However, Na‐montmorillonite clay could not be intercalated during the mixing or through the curing process. Curing temperature was found to provide a balance between the reaction rate of the epoxy precursor and the diffusion rate of the curing agent into the clay galleries. The cure kinetics were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The exfoliation behavior of the organoclay system was investigated by X‐ray diffraction. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the thermal stability, which was correlated with the ionic exchange between the organic species and the silicate layers. The morphology of the nanocomposites was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2201–2210, 2004     

Isothermal crystallization of lightly sulfonated syndiotactic polystyrene/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

Lightly sulfonated syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) nanocomposites were prepared using a solution intercalation technique, and the effect of montmorillonite clay on the crystallization kinetics of sulfonated sPS ionomer nanocomposites was systematically studied. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate the dispersion of clay platelets within sPS and sulfonated sPS ionomer (SsPS) matrices. Experimental results obtained from WAXD and TEM revealed a predominately exfoliated morphology within the SsPS ionomer containing 5 wt.% of organically-modified clay. The corresponding non-sulfonated sPS control exhibited a mixed morphological structure consisting of intercalated platelets and many platelets that were present as micron-sized agglomerates. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the Avrami approach was used to elucidate information related to nucleation and growth within the sPS and SsPS systems during the isothermal crystallization process. Pristine and organically-modified clays significantly increased the overall crystallization rate of the SsPS ionomer, while the nanoclays slightly decreased the crystallization rate of the non-ionic sPS. The mechanistic origins of increased crystallization rates within the SsPS ionomer clay nanocomposites were attributed to multiple phenomena including disruption of the ionomer electrostatic network and a nucleating effect due to the presence of well-separated, homogeneously dispersed clay platelets.     

Effect of sodium montmorillonite source on nylon 6/clay nanocomposites

The effect of sodium montmorillonite source on the morphology and properties of nylon 6 nanocomposites was examined using equivalent experimental conditions. Sodium montmorillonite samples acquired from two well-known mines, Yamagata, Japan, and Wyoming, USA, were ion exchanged with the same alkyl ammonium chloride compound. The resulting organoclays were extruded with a high molecular weight grade of nylon 6 under the same processing conditions. Quantitative analysis of TEM photomicrographs of the two nanocomposites reveal a slightly larger average particle length and a slightly higher degree of platelet exfoliation for the Yamagata based nanocomposite than the Wyoming version, thus, translating into a higher particle aspect ratio. The stress-strain behavior of the nanocomposites appears to reflect the nanocomposite morphology, in that higher stiffness and strengths are attainable with the increased particle aspect ratio. Moreover, the trends in stiffness behavior between the two types of nanocomposites may be explained by conventional composite theory.     

Novel polyether polyurethane/clay nanocomposites synthesized with organicly modified montmorillonite as chain extenders

A kind of novel polyether polyurethane (PU)/clay nanocomposite was synthesized using poly(tetramethylene glycol), 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine, and modified Na⁺‐montmorillonite (MMT). Here, organicly modified MMT (O‐MMT) was formed by applying 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine as a swelling agent to treat the Na⁺‐MMT. The X‐ray analysis showed that exfoliation occurred for the higher O‐MMT content (40 wt %) in the polymer matrix. The mechanical analysis indicated that, when the O‐MMT was used as a chain extender to replace a part of the 1,2‐diaminopropane to form PU/clay nanocomposites, the strength and strain at break of the polymer was enhanced when increasing the content of O‐MMT in the matrix. When the O‐MMT content reached about 5%, the tensile strength and elongation at break were over 2 times that of the pure PU. The thermal stability and the glass transition of the O‐MMT/PU nanocomposites also increased with increasing O‐MMT content. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 6–13, 2006     

Vapor barrier properties of polycaprolactone montmorillonite nanocomposites: effect of clay dispersion

Different compositions of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and (organo-modified) montmorillonite were prepared by melt blending or catalyzed ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Microphase composites were obtained by direct melt blending of PCL and sodium montmorillonite (MMT-Na⁺). Exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained by in situ ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone with an organo-modified montmorillonite (MMT-(OH)₂) by using dibutyltin dimethoxide as an initiator/catalyst. Intercalated nanocomposites were formed either by melt blending with organo-modified montmorillonite or in situ polymerization within sodium montmorillonite. The barrier properties were studied for water vapor and dichloromethane as an organic solvent. The sorption (S) and the zero concentration diffusion coefficient (D₀) were evaluated for both vapors. The water sorption increases with increasing the MMT content, particularly for the microcomposites containing the unmodified MMT-Na⁺. The thermodynamic diffusion parameters, D₀, were compared to the value of the parent PCL: both microcomposites and intercalated nanocomposites show diffusion parameters very near to PCL. At variance exfoliated nanocomposites show much lower values, even for small montmorillonite content. In the case of the organic vapor, the value of sorption at low relative pressure is mainly dominated by the amorphous fraction present in the samples, not showing any preferential adsorption on the inorganic component. At high relative pressure the isotherms showed an exponential increase of sorption, due to plasticization of the polyester matrix. The D₀ parameters were also compared to those of the unfilled PCL; in this case, both the exfoliated and the intercalated samples showed lower values, due to a more tortuous path for the penetrant molecules.     

Influence of organophilic clay and preparation methods on EVA/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/montmorillonite MMT nanocomposites have been prepared by using different methods: one is from the organophilic montmorillonite (OMT) and the other is from the pristine MMT and reactive compatibilizer hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C16). In this study, different kneaders were used (twin‐screw extruder and twin‐roll mill) to prepare nanocomposites. The nanocomposite structures are evidenced by the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and high‐resolution electronic microscope (HREM). The thermal properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, the tensile tests were carried out with a Universal testing machine DCS‐5000. It is shown that different methods and organophilic montmorillonite have influence on EVA/MMT nanocomposites.© 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2416–2421, 2004     

Preparation and evaluation of nanocomposites of polyfuran with Al2O3 and montmorillonite clay

High yield oxidative polymerization of furan was accomplished in CHCl₃ solvent at 0 °C. A nanocomposite of polyfuran (PF)–Al₂O₃ was prepared through polymerization of furan in a suspension of nanodimensional Al₂O₃ in CHCl₃ at 0 °C. High yield polymerization of furan was also achieved in montmorillonite clay (MMT) without any extraneous oxidant. The formation of PF was confirmed by FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermogravimetric analyses revealed the following trends in thermal stability: PF < PF–Al₂O₃ < Al₂O₃ and PF < PF–MMT < MMT. Scanning electron microscopy showed the average particles sizes to be ca 51 nm and ca 40 nm for PF–Al₂O₃ and PF–MMT composites, respectively. The occurrence of a peak at 19.84 Å in the X‐ray diffraction pattern of the PF–MMT composite was indicative of the intercalation of PF in MMT lamellae. Transmission electron microscopic analyses for the PF–MMT composite also showed incorporation of PF moieties in‐between the MMT layers. The dc conductivity values (S cm^?1) of PF–FeCl₃, PF–Al₂O₃–FeCl₃, PF–MMT and PF–MMT–FeCl₃ systems were in the order of 10^?6, 10^?7, 10^?8 and 10^?7, respectively, and the values were significantly enhanced compared to the dc conductivity value of PF homopolymers (10^?11). Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Gel time and polymerization kinetics of unsaturated polyester resin/clay montmorillonite nanocomposites

This article presents the variation of viscosity, gel point, and curing kinetic process of nanocomposites based on unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and natural nano‐clay CloisiteNa^+® and organomodified Cloisite15A^® montmorillonites (MMT). Different amounts (1–10 wt%) of nanoclays were added homogeneously before the cross‐linking reaction of the thermoset polymer. The complex viscosity before curing was especially dependent on the CloisiteNa^+® content more than Cloisite15A^®. The G' and G'' slope also as the complex viscosity criterion were used to determine the nanocomposites gel time variation. Isothermal differential scanning calorimetry measurements were performed to calculate the reaction order and the rate constant using different empirical equations. These results demonstrated a catalytic effect of the clays on the UPR cure, with diffusion controlled phenomena predominating at high conversions. The X‐ray diffraction patterns were useful for identifying the nanocomposites formation, and gave information about the clays dispersion, which served to support the rheological and polymerization kinetic results. Finally, natural MMT CloisiteNa^+®decreased gel time and was more compatible with UPR than the organomodified Cloisite15A^®. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1931–1940, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Charge transport mechanism in intercalated polypyrrole aluminum‐pillared montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

Nanocomposites based on intercalated conducting polypyrrole (PPy) into the galleries of inorganic aluminum‐pillared Montmorillonite (Al‐PMMT) clay with varying concentrations of Al‐PMMT were prepared by in situ chemical polymerization. The intercalation was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction pattern. Charge transport mechanism in these composites was investigated by temperature dependent direct current conductivity measurements. An increase in DC conductivity value on addition of (Al‐PMMT) clay in the composites at all temperatures and a transition from three‐dimensional (3D) Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) process in pristine PPy to one‐dimensional (1D) Mott's VRH process in the intercalated polymer composites has been observed. This transition in charge transport mechanism of PPy from 3D VRH to 1D VRH on intercalation has been interpreted in terms of straightening and linearization of polymer chains and decrease in inter‐chain interactions in the intercalated PPy. Enhancement in mechanical properties and increase in thermal stability of the nanocomposites was also observed with the increase in weight percentage of Al‐PMMT in PPy‐Al‐PMMT composites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

A comparative study on camphorsulphonic acid modified montmorillonite clay based conducting polymer nanocomposites

Nanotechnology has emerged as a subject of immense academic interest and excitement in the past few decades. The immediate goal of this science aims at the production of high performance nanomaterials. The present study reports comparative investigations on the in situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI), and its derivatives poly(1‐naphthylamine) (PNA) and poly(o‐toluidine) (POT) within the camphor sulphonic acid (CSA) modified montmorillonite (MMT) layers. The polymerization as well as intercalation of the conducting polymers was confirmed by FT‐IR, UV‐visible spectroscopies, and XRD studies, whereas the morphology of the nanocomposites was analyzed by TEM studies. It was found that the PANI derivatives (PNA and POT) revealed higher intercalation as compared with PANI. The morphology of nanocomposites was found to be governed by the type of conducting polymer intercalated. A large variation in the morphology as well as particle size was observed between the nanocomposites of PANI and its derivatives. The conductivity was found to be in the range of 10⁻³–10⁻² S·cm⁻¹. POLYM. COMPOS., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Electron beam synthesis and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/montmorillonite clay (MMT) nanocomposites in the form of films were prepared under the effect of electron beam irradiation. The PVA/MMT nanocomposites gels were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical measurements. The study showed that the appropriate dose of electron beam irradiation to achieve homogeneous nanocomposites films and highest gel formation was 20 kGy. The introduction of MMT (up to 4 wt %) results in improvement in tensile strength, elongation at break, and thermal stability of the PVA matrix. In addition, the intercalation of PVA with the MMT clay leads to an impressive improved water resistance, indicating that the clay is well dispersed within the polymer matrix. Meanwhile, it was proved that the intercalation has no effect on the metal uptake capability of PVA as determined by a method based on the color measurements. XRD patterns and SEM micrographs suggest the coexistence of exfoliated intercalated MMT layers over the studied MMT contents. The DSC thermograms showed clearly that the intercalation of PVA polymer with these levels of MMT has no influence on the melting transitions; however, the glass transition temperature (T_g) for PVA was completely disappeared, even at low levels of MMT clay. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1129–1138, 2006     

Studies of particle dispersion in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) were mixed with 5 and 10 wt % of Cloisite Na⁺, Cloisite 30B or Cloisite 93A. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by thermal analysis using a thermogravimetric analyzer which showed that addition of 5 wt % of nanoclay to PVC increased its thermal stability in the sequence: Cloisite Na⁺< Cloisite 93A< Cloisite 30B. The electrical conductivity of these composites was studied as a function of temperatures and showed that the conductivity of PVC was enhanced upon using 5 wt % of nanoclay in the sequence: Cloisite Na⁺< Cloisite 30B < Cloisite 93A. The activation energy of interaction of PVC with nanoclay was found to be lowest for the composite containing 5 wt % of nanoclay in the same sequence. The tensile strength, elongation (%), and Young's modulus were considerably enhanced upon increasing the clay content to 5 wt % in the sequence: Cloisite Na⁺< Cloisite 93A < Cloisite 30B. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study these nanocomposite structures, and it was found that the organoclay layers are homogeneously dispersed in the PVC matrix when 5 wt % of Cloisite 30B or Cloisite 93A was used. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation of UV reactive montmorillonite and characterization of its nanocomposites with poly(vinyl alcohol)

A cation‐exchanged montmorillonite clay is prepared as filler material with high dispersibility, that should act as Fe³⁺‐donor for photochemical crosslinking of PVA/Fe³⁺‐MMT materials with filler contents of up to 50 wt % with regard to the polymer matrix. Hence, no organic photoinitiators and hazardous compounds are utilized. This material may be considered environmentally benign and could be applied in the field of food packaging or for biomedical applications. Upon UV exposure of liquid PVA/Fe³⁺‐MMT dispersion samples, a significant change of the refractive index is determined and the absorption at 360 nm decreased. This indicates the transition of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺, which initiates a radical crosslinking mechanism. A homogenous distribution and parallel orientation of the modified clay particles is revealed by SEM measurements. The solubility behavior of the PVA/Fe³⁺‐MMT composite materials in deionized water, changes considerably due to the high filler content and UV‐induced crosslinking, resulting in gel contents exceeding 90 wt %. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Exfoliated and intercalated polyamide-imide nanocomposites with montmorillonite

Polyamide-imide (PAI) is a high performance condensation polymer, which has high heat resistance and high radiation resistance. Solvent suspensions of PAI are widely used in magnetic wire coatings. Montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were investigated for the concentration effects on dispersion, glass transition, degradation, and mechanical properties. Samples were prepared using a controlled torque stirrer and slow solvent extraction was followed for the cast samples. Optical microscopy shows that the surface of the cast sample has increased edge-edge clay platelet attraction. Transmission electron microscopy of the through thickness sample indicated platelet edges, increased face-face coagulated states and some edge-edge flocculated states of tactoid formation. X-ray diffraction indicated that for 1% sample a highly exfoliated structure was obtained while between 1.5 and 3% intercalated and exfoliated dispersions were obtained. The glass transition was not significantly affected by clay presence but a drop in specific heat change was observed for all samples showing a 001 clay peak presence. The first heating scan showed PAI solvent and MMT organic emission but these emissions did not affect the PAI chemically. Degradation was altered by the level of matrix shielding by the clay. Hardness values were increased with clay presence but unaffected by concentration.