• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.925-930
• /
• 2006

Chitosan-based nanocomposite films were prepared using a solution intercalation method incorporating varying amounts of organically modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 30B) from 0 to 30 wt%. The nanocomposite films prepared were optically clear despite a slight decrease in the transmittance due to the spatial distribution of nanoclay. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that a certain degree of intercalation or exfoliation formed when the amount of clay in the film was low and that microscale tactoids formed when the clay content in the sample was high (more than 10 wt%). The tensile strength (TS) of the chitosan film increased when the clay was incorporated up to 10 wt% and then decreased with further increases in the clay content of the film. The elongation at break (E) increased slightly upon the addition of low levels of clay up to 5 wt% and then decreased with further increases in the amount of the clay in the film. The water vapor permeability (WVP) decreased exponentially with increasing clay content. The water solubility (WS) and swelling ratio (SR) of the nanocomposite films decreased slightly, indicating that the water resistance of the chitosan film increased due to the incorporation of the nanoclay.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.18-24
• /
• 2013

This work attempted to fabricate organic/inorganic nanocomposite by combining organic cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), isolated by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of native cellulose with inorganic nanoclay. The morphology and dimension of CNFs, and tensile properties and thermal stability of CNF/clay nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), tensile test, and thermogravimetry (TG), respectively. TEM observation showed that CNFs were fibrillated structure with a diameter of about $4.86{\pm}1.341nm$. Tensile strength and modulus of the hybrid nanocomposite decreased as the clay content of the nanocomposite increased, indicating a poor dispersion of CNFs or inefficient stress transfer between the CNFs and clay. The elongation at break increased at 1% clay level and then continuously decreased as the clay content increased, suggesting increased brittleness. Analysis of TG and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) curves of the nanocomposites identified two thermal degradation peak temperatures ($T_{p1}$ and $T_{p2}$), which suggested thermal decomposition of the nanocomposites to be a two steps-process. We think that $T_{p1}$ values from $219.6^{\circ}C$ to $235^{\circ}C$ resulted from the sodium carboxylate groups in the CNFs, and that $T_{p2}$ values from $267^{\circ}C$ to $273.5^{\circ}C$ were mainly responsible for the thermal decomposition of crystalline cellulose in the nanocomposite. An increase in the clay level of the CNF/clay nanocomposite predominately affected $T_{p2}$ values, which continuously increased as the clay content increased. These results indicate that the addition of clay improved thermal stability of the CNF/clay nanocomposite but at the expense of nanocomposite's tensile properties.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.43-46
• /
• 2013

In order to develop electrical insulation material, organically modified layered silicate was incorporated into an epoxy matrix to prepare nanocomposite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation showed that organophillic clay was in an exfoliated state, while hydrophilic clay was not dispersed into nanolayers within the epoxy matrix. Epoxy/organophilic clay (2.8 wt%) nanocomposite was mixed and cured at $150^{\circ}C$ for 4.5 hr. I-V characteristics, volume resistance and dielectric properties for the cured nanocomposite were estimated. Current density increased with increasing temperature, and volume resistance decreased with increasing temperature, in neat epoxy and epoxy/organophilic clay (2.8 wt%) nanocomposite. As frequency increased, the dielectric loss value decreased in the two systems.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.110-122
• /
• 2012

This study investigated the effects of layered clay on the thermal curing behavior and tensile properties of resole phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin/clay/cellulose nanocomposites. The thermal curing behavior of the nanocomposite was characterized using conventional differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature modulated (TMDSC). The addition of clay was found to accelerate resin curing, as measured by peak temperature ($T_p$) and heat of reaction (${\Delta}H$) of the nanocomposite’ curing reaction increasing clay addition decreased $T_p$ with a minimum at 3~5% clay. However, the reversing heat flow and heat capacity showed that the clay addition up to 3% delayed the vitrification process of the resole PF resin in the nanocomposite, indicating an inhibition effect of the clay on curing in the later stages of the reaction. Three different methods were employed to determineactivation energies for the curing reaction of the nanocomposite. Both the Ozawa and Kissinger methods showed the lowest activation energy (E) at 3% clay content. Using the isoconversional method, the activation energy ($E_{\alpha}$) as a function of the degree of conversion was measured and showed that as the degree of cure increased, the $E_{\alpha}$ showed a gradual decrease, and gave the lowest value at 3% nanoclay. The addition of clay improved the tensile strengths of the nanocomposites, although a slight decrease in the elongation at break was observed as the clay content increased. These results demonstrated that the addition of clay to resole PF resins accelerate the curing behavior of the nanocomposites with an optimum level of 3% clay based on the balance between the cure kinetics and tensile properties.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.290-299
• /
• 2006

This article investigated to polymer-clay nanocomposite, especially in interfacial respect clay structure, its dispersion into polymer matrix, and clay modification is studied. The cationic exchange of surfactants with clay gallery results in preparing organo-clay capable of compatiblizing to monomer or polymer and increasing interlayer adhesion energy due to expansion of interlayer spacing. The orientation of surfactant in clay gallery is affected by chemical structure and charge density of clay, and interlayer spacing and volume is increased with alkyl chain length of surfactant, or charge density of clay. Also, the interaction between clay and polymer in preparing polymer-clay nanocomposite is explained thermodynamically. In the future, the study and development of polymer-clay nanocomposite is paid attention to the interfacial adhesion, clay dispersion within polymer, mechanism of clay intercalation or exfoliation.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.99-104
• /
• 2009

Soy protein isolate (SPI)-based nanocomposite films with three different types of nanoclays, such as Cloisite $Na^+$, Cloisite 20A, and Cloisite 30B, were prepared using a solution casting method, and their optical, tensile, and water vapor barrier properties were determined to investigate the effect of nano-clay type on film properties. Among the tested nanoclays, Cloisite $Na^+$, a hydrophilic montmorillonite (MMT), exhibited the highest transparency with least opaqueness, the highest tensile strength, and the highest water vapor barrier properties, indicating Cloisite $Na^+$ is the most compatible with SPI polymer matrix to form nanocomposite films. The film properties of SPI/Cloisite $Na^+$ nanocomposite films were strongly dependent on the concentration of the clay. Film properties such as optical, tensile, and water vapor barrier properties improved significantly (p<0.05) as the concentration of clay increased. However, the effectiveness of addition of the clay reduced above a certain level (i.e., 5wt%), indicating that there is an optimum amount of clay addition to exploit the full advantage of nanocmposite films.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.375-380
• /
• 2002

Diamines (p-phenylenediamine , m-phenylenediamine , and n-hexamethylenediamine) were intercalated into sodium montmorillonite for the further reaction with the anhydride end groups of polyamic acid. The anhydride terminated polyamic acid was synthesized using a mole ratio of 4,4'-oxydianilline : 1,2,4,5-benzene tetracarboxylic dianhydride = 1.50 : 1.53. The modified montmorillonite was reacted with polyamic acid terminated with anhydride group in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (polyamic acid/clay nanocomposite). After imidization, thin films of the polyimide/clay nanocomposite were prepared. From the results of XRD and TEM, we found that mono layered silicates were dispersed in polyimide matrix and those resultants were exfoliated nanocomposites. Mechanical properties of exfoliated polyimide nanocomposite were better than both those of pure polyimide and those of intercalated polyimide nanocomposite.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2003

Poly(methyl methacrylate)/clay nanocomposite particles with particle size of 275${\sim}$292 nm range were successfully prepared using emulsion polymerization. The content of montmorillonite based on the methyl methacrylate monomer was chosen as 30 wt.%. 2,2-azobis(isobuthylamidine hydrochloride) and n-dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride were used as an initiator and a surfactant in cationic emulsion system. Potassium persulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate were used as an initiator and a surfactant in anionic emulsion system. The evidence of intercalated /exfoliated structure of montmorillonite in the nanocomposite prepared in our experiment was confirmed by wide angle x-ray diffraction patterns of $d_{001}$ plane. Thermal behavior of nanocomposite was traced using DSC and TGA. It was found that the nanocomposite particle prepared by cationic emulsion system showed intercalated structured. We also found that the nanocomposite particle obtained from anionic emulsion system resulted in the fully exfoliated structure.

• Fibers and Polymers
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.59-67
• /
• 2004

The development of high tenacity, high modulus monofilaments from Polypropylene/Clay nanocomposite has been investigated. Pure sodium montmorillonite nanoclay was modified using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) via an ion exchange reaction. Pure and modified clay were characterized through X-ray diffraction, FTIR and TGA. The modified clay was melt blended with polypropylene (PP) in presence of a swelling agent. Composite filaments from PP/Clay nanocomposite were prepared at different weight percentages of nanoclay and the spinning and drawing conditions were optimized. The filaments were characterized for their mechanical, morphological and thermal properties. The composite PP filaments with modified clay showed improved tensile strength, modulus and reduced elongation at break. The composite filaments with unmodified clay did not show any improvement in tensile strength but the modulus improved. The sharp and narrow X-ray diffraction peaks of PP/nanoclay composite filaments indicate increase in crystallinity in presence of modified clay at small loadings (0.5 %). The improved thermal stability was observed in filaments with modified as well as unmodified clays.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.165-172
• /
• 2003

Fireproofing polyolefin nanocomposite for the application of power distributing panel was prepared by compounding linear low density polyethylene(LLDPE), decabromodiphenyl oxide (DBDPO), $Sb_2O_3$ as flame retardant agents, and modified nano clay as filler. The optimized formulation ratio of compounds to prepare the fireproofing polyolefin nanocomposite was obtained. The flame retardant properties for nanocomposite prepared by compounding 22.5 phr of nano clay and 18 phr of DBDPO based on 100 phr of LLDPE were shown that the combustion time. 10${\sim}$18 s, combustion distance, 12${\sim}$15 mm and non-melt dropping characteristics. In particular. the content of DBDPO in nanocomposite could be decreased to 18 phr from 40 phr DBDPO for fireproofing composite containing 30 phr of clay. The electrical properties measured from tracking test, had an excellent antitracking properties by not showing the phenomenon of leakage current and sparking.