Thermal analysis of polymer-silicate nanocomposites

The thermal behavior of epoxy-smectite nanocomposites (hybrids) is examined by non-isothermal thermogravimetry (TG, DTG and DTA) in air atmosphere. It has been shown that the thermal stability of hybrids is much greater than that of epoxy resin and strongly depends on both the smectite loading and the type of the gallery cations of organically modified smectites. The kinetics of degradation of nanocomposites is significantly influenced by the presence of smectites and proceeds in three stages. Stage I is attributed to the effect of quaternized ammonium ion exchanged smectite, as stages II and III are associated with the decomposition of the bulk epoxy resin. Because of the interfacial interactions and the silicate-polymer multilayered nanoscale organization, the nanocomposites act as excellent heat insulator and mass transport barrier, which shift the thermal decomposition peaks towards much higher temperatures.