Synthesis and Characterization of Maleic Anhydride-Grafted EngageŽ/Dimethyldioctadecyl Quaternary Ammonium Chloride-Modified Montmorillonite Clay Nanocomposites

Tuesday, October 14, 2008: 1:00 PM
Ganesh Latta , Western Kentucky University , KY
Wei-Ping Pan , Western Kentucky University , KY
Quentin Lineberry , Western Kentucky University
Maleic anhydride (MA) was grafted onto ethylene octene copolymer (Engage®) via radical initiation. The MA grafted Engage (MA-g-Engage) was characterized by FTIR and XPS. The nanocomposites of MA-g-Engage with an organically modified (dimethyldioctadecyl quaternary ammonium chloride) montmorillonite (M-MMT) were synthesized using a solution intercalation technique. The intercalation of M-MMT was verified by the shift of the X-ray diffraction peak to a lower angle. The internal structure and dispersion state of the M-MMT in the nanocomposites were observed by a transmission electron microscope, which confirmed that the clay was in the intercalated state. Below the glass transition temperature, the storage modulus of MA-g-Engage was higher than the neat Engage. The non-oxidative thermal degradation temperatures of MA-g-Engage and MA-g-Engage/M-MMT nanocomposite were higher than the neat Engage.