Chemically Functionalized Clay Vinyl Ester Nanocomposites: Effect of Processing Parameters

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to improve montmorillonite clay-platelet separation in vinyl ester resin matrix by organically modifying the nanoclay platelet with a partially reactive onium salt. The reactive onium salt (ω-undecylenyl amine hydrochloride) was synthesized from commercial ω-undecylenyl alcohol through a series of synthetic conversions. Nonreactive onium salt (undecyl amine hydrochloride) was made from commercial undecyl amine. These salts were characterized with 1H and 13C NMR and Fourier transform infrared techniques. The relative amounts of exfoliated, intercalated, and as-treated clay and the size of the clay particle aggregates depended significantly on the composition of clay and the processing conditions. When the clay was ion-exchanged with a mixture of reactive and nonreactive onium salts, a partially exfoliated vinyl ester resin polymer nanocomposite was formulated. The addition of a comonomer styrene and high-intensity ultrasonic mixing produced vinyl ester nanocomposite with the highest degree of clay-platelet exfoliation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.