Polymer-clay nanocomposites were fabricated from medium-density polyethylene and organically modified Na-montmorillonite (MMT) using the planetary ball milling as a new method. The materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystalline size of polyethylene (PE) filled with MMT was studied using XRD. These studies indicated that the addition of MMT decreases the crystalline size of the polymer. Moreover, the degree of crystallinity of both ball-milled and un-milled PE and PE-clay nanocomposites was measured by applying the XRD technique. The results show that both milling time and clay content decrease the degree of crystallinity of PE.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.