Preparation and Properties of the Urea-Formaldehyde Res-In/Reactive Halloysite Nanocomposites Adhesive with Low-Formaldehyde Emission and Good Water Resistance

Low-cost urea formaldehyde resin (UF)/reactive halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) nanocomposite adhesive was prepared successfully via in situ polymerization. The HNTs were modified to improve its compatibility with polymer. The XRD and FTIR results showed that physical and chemical interaction between the HNTs and polymer resin influenced the structure of UF owing to the functional groups on the HNTs. It is found from SEM images that the modified HNTs could be dispersed uniformly in the resin and the nanocomposite particles were spherical. The performance experiment confirmed that thermal stability of nanocomposite increased largely, formaldehyde emission of UF wood adhesive reduced 62%, and water resistance of UF wood adhesive improved by 84%. Meanwhile, the content of HNTs on the nanocomposites could be up to 60 wt %. The mechanism of the nanocomposites based on the reactive HNTs was proposed. The approach of the preparation could supply an idea to prepare other polymer/clay nanocomposites.

Automated summary

Low-cost UF/HNTs nanocomposite adhesive was successfully prepared via in situ polymerization. Modified HNTs were well dispersed in the resin, leading to improved thermal stability, reduced formaldehyde emission, and enhanced water resistance of the nanocomposite. The study proposed a mechanism for the nanocomposites based on reactive HNTs and can provide insights for preparing other polymer/clay nanocomposites.