Organic Montmorillonite Modified Polyacrylate Nanocomposite by Emulsion Polymerization

Apolyacrylate/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposite was synthesized by in-situ emulsion polymerization with intercalated structure as demonstrated by X-ray diffractometry. The emulsions and the films obtained from the emulsions prepared were characterized with rotary viscometer, laser light scattering, transmission electron micrograph, scanning electron micrograph, differential scanning calorimetry, the 180ºC peeling intensity test, etc. The results indicated that addition of OMMT improved the engineering properties of emulsions. Among the samples tested, the modified polyacrylate emulsion which was prepared by intercalating 2 wt% OMMT and pretreated with immersion disposal showed the most desirable effect and obtained the following advantages: smaller particle size, stronger pseudo-plastic, better thermal stability, and better adhesion property. The morphology of emulsion particles became a polygon from approximate sphericity. It was also demonstrated by SEM that OMMT addition improved the ductility of the polyacrylate film. Furthermore, the peeling strength was likewise improved with the increased amount of OMMT.