No abstract

Polystyrene-based nanocomposite films containing up to 20 wt% laponite clay have been 28 prepared by emulsion polymerization. Significant increases in the storage and tensile mod-29 uli were observed in both the glassy and rubbery state on laponite addition. However, 30 whereas in the glassy state these increases were correlated with the extent of exfoliation 31 of the laponite, in the rubbery state they were more dependent on the overall laponite con-32 tent. These results are discussed in terms of the observed morphologies and micromechan-33 ical models for the reinforcing effect of rigid nano-sized filler particles. 34