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The polymerizable cationic surfactant, vinylbenzyldimethylethanolammouium chloride (VBDEAC), was synthesized to functionalize montmorillonite (MMT) clay and used to prepare exfoliated polystyrene-clay nanocomposites. The organophilic MMT was prepared by Na(+) exchanged montmorillonite and ammonium cations of the VBDEAC in an aqueous medium. Polystyrene-clay nanocomposites were prepared by free-radical polymerization of the styrene containing intercalated organophilic MMT. Dispersion of the intercalated montmorillonite in the polystyrene matrix determined by X-ray diffraction reveals that the basal spacing is higher than 17.6 nm. These nanocomposites were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron micrograph (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and mechanical properties. The exfoliated nanocomposites have higher thermal stability and better mechanical properties than the pure polystyrene. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Analyses of the effects of montmorillonite (clay) on the chain conformation and crystallization of syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS) thin films are investigated using FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and TEM. The clay is dispersed into the s-PS matrix using a solution blending with scale in 1−2 nm or in a few tenths to 100 nm, depending on whether a surfactant is added or not. Upon adding clay, the chain conformation of s-PS tends to convert to TTTT from TTGG after drying because the highly dispersed clay overcomes the energy barrier of chain conformation transformation. This phenomenon leads to a change in a conventional mechanism of molecular packing for s-PS in the drying stage. During melt-crystallization, clay plays a vital role in facilitating the formation of the thermodynamically favored all-trans β form crystal, particularly on the s-PS thin film samples. When the s-PS is melt-crystallized at a cooling rate of 1 °C/min from 320 °C, the highest absolute crystallinity of β form up to 0.56 occurs in the clay dispersibility of few tenths to 100 nm in the s-PS matrix; then dispersibility is of 1−2 nm (0.49), and the final one is of pure s-PS (0.42). Evidently, clay significantly affects the chain conformation and crystallization of s-PS.

We investigated the effects of montmorillonite (clay) on the crystallization kinetics of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) with isothermal differential scanning calorimetry analyses. The clay was dispersed into the sPS matrix via melt blending on a scale of 1-2 nm or up to about 100 nm, depending on the surfactant treatment. For a crystallization temperature of 240°C, the isothermal crystallization data were fitted well with the Avrami crystallization equation. Crystallization data on the kinetic parameters (i.e., the crystallization rate constant, Avrami exponent, clay content, and clay/surfactant cation-exchange ratio) were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that the crystallization rate constant of the sPS nanocomposite increased with increasing clay content. The clay played a vital role in facilitating the formation on the thermodynamically more favorable all-␤-form crystal when the sPS was meltcrystallized.