Thermal characteristics of organoclay and their effects upon the formationof polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites

We have examined thermal characteristics of two types of organically modifi ed montmorillonite (OMMT) with different alkylammonium cations and their ef fects upon the formation of PP nanocomposite, when using a maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene oligomer (maPP) as a compatibilizer. The microstruct ure of the composite has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) anal ysis, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spect roscopy. OMMT showed the decrease of the interlayer spacing at the processi ng temperature, due to the release of organic ion by thermal decomposition. Thermal characteristics of OMMTs depended greatly on the interlayer struct ure of OMMT. When the OMMT with small interlayer spacing and less organophi licity was used, PP composite resulted in the only partial exfoliation due to thermal decomposition of the clay layers.