Preparation and properties of organo-montmorillonite/fluoroelastomer nanocomposites

Organo-montmorillonite (OMMT)/fluoroelastomer (FKM) nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation. The microstructure of these composites was characterized by TEM and XRD. The effect of OMMT on mechanical properties, thermal stability and solvent resistance of the nanocomposites were investigated. TEM and XRD showed that the FKM was intercalated into OMMT. When the OMMT content was lower than 12 wt.%, the nanocomposites showed excellent tensile properties, which was attributed to the nanometer scale dispersion and the higher aspect ratio of the clay mineral layers. The introduction of a small amount of OMMT also improved the thermal stability and solvent resistance, which was attributed to the gas barrier action of the OMMT layers. Compared to pure FKM, the nanocomposites exhibited a higher glass transition temperature and lower tan delta peak value. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.