Thermal properties of epoxy resin nanocomposites based on hydrotalcites

Epoxy resin nanocomposites containing home-made hydrotalcites (HTlc) have been prepared and their properties have been studied and compared with those of montmorillonite (MMT)-type layered silicates-based nanocomposites. Nanofiller dispersion in the polymer matrix has been evaluated by transmission (TEM) electron microscopy and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), while nanocomposite thermal properties have been studied in detail by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) and cone calorimeter tests. The morphological studies have shown that the compatibilisation of the above two type of nanofillers allowed us to obtain nanostructured materials. As far as thermal properties are concerned, nanocomposites based on HTlc are found to decompose, both in air and nitrogen, following a trend similar to that of the neat polymer matrix, while in the case of the nanocomposite based on the organophilic MMT a slight improvement was found in air. Conversely, cone calorimetric tests have demonstrated that only the organophilic hydrotalcite was capable of decreasing the peak of the heat release rate in a relevant way. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.