Spinning and characterizations of polypropylene/alkylphosphonic acid treated montmorillonite nanocomposite fiber

Abstract

Fine and well-dispersed clay was prepared via the in situ conversion of the dodecylamine intercalant inside the clay gallery to dodecylamino dimethylene diphosphonic acid (DDD), using a Mannich reaction, so as to create a repulsive force that delaminated the clay platelets. The clay structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, which revealed changes in the multilayer stacks. XRD analysis showed that the interlayer spacing was largely expanded by the presence of DDD. SEM and TEM images revealed that DDD containing clay (PMMT), but not that without DDD, exhibited transparency, indicating the extremely fine and well-dispersed clay. Polypropylene/PMMT nanocomposites containing 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt % PMMT were prepared by melt extrusion. The obtained compounds were each spun into a monofilament fiber using a small scale spinning machine and then characterized by XRD, Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), plus the sonic modulus was evaluated. The XRD results revealed an increase in the b crystallinity peak in fibers loaded with 2-10 wt % PMMT, indicating that PMMT particles were capable of acting as a b-form nucleating agent. However, only minimal changes in the thermal behavior (T c ) were observed due to the tested samples containing insufficient PMMT content. The mechanical properties, in terms of the tensile strength and sonic modulus value (E), of the polypropylene nanocomposite fibers were higher than those of virgin PP fibers, presumably due to the reinforcement effect of the filled PMMT nanoparticles.

Spinning of fibers from polypropylene/silica composite resins

“…However, polymer composites which contain nanosized particles at a much lower loading ratio than conventional fillers have recently attracted a great deal of attention because they offer enhanced mechanical and thermal properties when compared to the conventional composites. Nano-sized particles, and particularly carbon nanotubes (CNTs) 6,7 and montmorillonite (MMNT) 8,9 particles, have taken the lead as the novel nanofillers for plastics, as well as for fibers, thanks to their high aspect ratio. Even though fillers with a high aspect ratio are ideal for plastic reinforcement, recently silica has been widely investigated for use in polymeric materials.…”

Granitic quarry waste as a dual functional filler for high density polyethylene‐based composites: Mechanical and microwave absorbing properties

“…This behavior is not common, but some reports also observed an increase of ε B with the addition of low amount of clay, especially organically modified montmorillonite. [41][42][43] Bakhtiar et al 44 and Dias et al 18 also reported a slight increase of ε B with the addition of small amount of mica in epoxy matrix and ultrahigh-molar mass polyethylene (UHMMPE), respectively. The improvement of toughness and impact strength with the addition of small amount of clay has also been reported by other authors, and can be attributed to a good dispersion of the filler inside the polymeric matrix.…”

Spinning and Characterization of Silica/Polypropylene Nanocomposite Fibers

“…Recently, polymer nanocomposites which contain nano-sized particles at a much lower loading ratio than conventional fillers have been focused, they offer enhanced mechanical properties and thermal properties when compared to conventional composites. Nano-sized particles, particularly, carbon nanotube (CNT) [6][7] and montmorillonite (MMNT) [8][9] have taken a lead as the novel nano-fillers for plastics as well as fibers due to their high aspect ratio. Recently silica has been widely investigated for polymeric materials and held a great potential for developing nanocomposites.…”