Effect of vinyl acetate content on the mechanical and thermal properties of ethylene vinyl acetate/MgAl layered double hydroxide nanocomposites

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites using EVA of different vinyl acetate contents (EVA-18 and EVA-45) have been prepared by solution blending method. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic studies of nanocomposites clearly indicate the formation of exfoliated/intercalated structure for EVA-18 and completely delaminated structure for EVA-45. Though EVA-18 nanocomposites do not show significant improvement in mechanical properties, EVA-45 nanocomposites with 5 wt % DS-LDH content results in tensile strength and elongation at break to be 25% and 7.5% higher compared to neat EVA-45. The data from thermogravimetric analysis show that the nanocomposites of EVA-18 and EVA-45 have approximate to 10 degrees C higher thermal decomposition temperature compared to neat EVA. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.