Synthesis, Characterization and Thermal Degradation Studies of Acrylic Based Nanocomposite Polymeric Materials

Abstract

Abstract-Acrylic based polymeric nanocomposites have been synthesized with the incorporation of sodium montmorillonite and surface modified nanoclay to the extent of less than 1 wt% via in-situ intercalation method using N 2 gas as an inert media. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD analysis shows that diffraction peaks in the low angle region are absent which indicate that the d-spacing of ordered intercalated and ordered delaminated nanocomposites has not been achieved but the diffraction peaks has been shifted to larger 2-theta values which is an indication to the fact that disordered nanocomposites has been synthesized due to changes in the structure of the layers of the clay. But diffraction peaks of surface modified MMT and simple MMT has been shifted to lower angles in polymer and co-polymer nanocompisites, an indication to intercalated composite. In all the XRD graphs of pure polymeric substances and PNC'S, the peaks associated with [010] plane of a hexagonal structure which appeared at 2θ values of ~17˚confirm the crystalline structure of polyacrylonitrile. The diffraction angles at 29 o in pure polyacrylonitrile indicate the pre-graphitic type structure having a bragg's plane of [300].