Thermal analysis of polymer-silicate nanocomposites

The thermal behavior of epoxy-smectite nanocomposites (hybrids) is examined by non-isothermal thermogravimetry (TG, DTG and DTA) in air atmosphere. It has been shown that the thermal stability of hybrids is much greater than that of epoxy resin and strongly depends on both the smectite loading and t he type of the gallery cations of organically modified smectites. The kinet ics of degradation of nanocomposites is significantly influenced by the pre sence of smectites and proceeds in three stages. Stage I is attributed to t he effect of quaternized ammonium ion exchanged smectite, as stages II and III are associated with the decomposition of the bulk epoxy resin. Because of the interfacial interactions and the silicate-polymer multilayered nanos cale organization, the nanocomposites act as excellent heat insulator and m ass transport barrier, which shift the thermal decomposition peaks towards much higher temperatures.