Particle configuration and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/montmorillonite nanocomposites via in situ suspension polymerization

Poly(vinyl chloride)/montmorillonite (PVC/MMT) nanocomposites were synthesized via in situ intercalative polymerization and their microstructure, particle characteristics and mechanical properties were investigated. The montmorillonite layers were almost exfoliated into nanoscale layers and an exfoliated nanostructure was obtained. The mean particle size of the nanocomposites decreased and the degree of porosity of the particles increased with increasing organic modified montmorillonite (OMMT) content. The nanocomposites exhibited higher cold plasticizer absorption (CPA) and slightly greater fluid plasticity in comparison with pure PVC. The addition of OMMT into PVC matrix improved the production process and the mechanical properties of the composite resin. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.