Abstract
Novel polypropylene/clay nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization method with TiCl4/MgCl2/organoclay/internal donor- AlEt3 catalyst. The organo clay used is commercial Closite 15A that is an ammonium saltmodified montmorillonite (AMMT). For preparation of the catalyst, MgCl2 was deposited into the swollen AMMT layers and then TiCl4 and internal donor were loaded on the layer surfaces of AMMT. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and rheological measurements were used for characterization of the nanocomposites. The Linear and nonlinear melt-state viscoelastic properties of the polymer matrix and its nanocomposite are also investigated. In the presence of the clay lamellae, a pronounced increase in the low frequency moduli is observed. Transient rheological data reveal a stress overshoot for nanocomposite where there is no significant overshoot for polymer matrix. This stress overshoot can be attributed to the deformation and orientation of the special structure of clay platelets in polymer melts. Finally, experimental data are compared with the predictions of a mesoscopic rheological model.
© 2013 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co.
