Preparation and interaction characteristics of organically modified montmorillonite nanocomposite with miscible polymer blend of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate)

The intercalation of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) in the polymer blend of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been demonstrated using dichloromethane as the cosolvent at room temperature. X-ray diffraction has been used to confirm the formation of nanoscale polymers-OMMT hybrids and the localization of the polymers between the organosilicate layers. The silicate nanocomposites have higher tensile modulus and elongation at break than the polymer matrix, revealing the dispersion of the clay particles in the polymer matrix. The specific interaction between the components was quantified by the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters, B, for pairs, determined by combining the melting point depression and the binary interaction model. The estimated B values for the binary PMMA/OMMT and PEO/OMMT pairs were all negative, showing both proper intercalation of the polymer into the gallery of OMMT and the homogeneous dispersion of OMMT in the polymer matrix. The B value for the PMMA/OMMT pair was smaller than that measured for the PEO/OMMT pair, suggesting that PMMA had better affinity for OMMT than PEO.