Unsaturated polyester/bentonite nanocomposites: Influence of clay modification on final performance

In this work, unsaturated polyester/bentonite nanocomposites were obtained and characterized. The bentonite used was unmodified and with different chemical treatments. The effects of these different chemical modifications (cation exchange reactions with quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts) of this clay as well as the effect of clay content on the thermal, barrier (water absorption), mechanical (flexural) and dynamic-mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester matrix were analyzed. The results clearly show that the chemical modifications of the clay cause a desired effect on its final properties improving the performance of the nanocomposites. The enhancements could be directly related to the dispersion of the clay inside the matrix, as shown by transmission electron microscopy. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.