Preparation and Characterization of Polyhydroxyurethane/Attapulgite Nanocomposites Via In-Situ Surface-Initiated Polymerization

The polyhydroxyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites (PHU/ATP) were prepared by in-situ surface-initiated polymerization of a five-membered cyclic carbonate, 2,2-bis[p-(1,3-dioxolan-2-one-4-yl-methoxy)phenyl]propane (B5CC) and hexamethylene diamine, from the surface of the aminopropyl attapulgite nanoparticles (APATP) for the first time. The chemical grafting of the polymer on the surface of ATP was confirmed by FTIR and the morphology of the attapulgite nanoparticles in the nanocomposites was examined by TEM. The thermal stabilities of the polyhydroxyurethane (PHU) and the polyhydroxyurethane/ attapulgite nanocomposites (PHU/ATP) were compared with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The %G of the attapulgite nanoparticles was also calculated from the results of TGA after the free polyhydroxyurethane was washed off.