Question

Please make sure to display your thought process? It is imperative to be able to follow how the answer was deduced. Please be as thorough as possible. Please address all parts as they are critical to answering this question correctly:

1) Discuss the type of surface treatments that are applied to nanoclays in order to improve nanoclay dispersion in polymer matrices. What happens when untreated nanoclay is used to reinforce a polymer? What happens when a properly organically modified clay is used? List and discuss three techniques that are used to characterize the microstructure/nanostructure of nanoclay-filled polymers.

Answer 1

Answer:

1) Surface treatment applied to nanoclay:

Organic treatment and and ion exchange methods are the two methods for the surface treatment.

a) Organic method:

The modification of the nanoclay surface via organic treatment makes adequate preparation for a hydrophobic environment to the nanclay's gallery and that is accountable for the enhancement of its similarity with the matrix polymer.

b) Ion exchanage method:

This is a regular moderation method in which cationic salts are used for example, phosphonium salts Or alkyl ammonium salts. This process of modification contain some drawbacks for example, small thermal stability for cationic salts and the compounds are petty easily intercalated in polymer melts.The smaller decomposition temperature about 170-180˚C of alkyl ammonium salt grants that it is not suitable for the processing technique of high temperature melt.

2) What becomes if the untreated nanoclay used to fortify the polymer:

There may face two critical challenges if an untreated nanoclay is used, for example a chemical similarity between the nanofiller and the polymer matrix at the nanoscale as well as homogeneous dispersion of the nanofiller within the polymer matrix. The interfacial interaction in between polymer matrix and nanoclay filler and the standard of nanoclay dispersion, has a remarkable effect on the execution of the polymer/nanoclay composites. These intercorrelated characteristics evaluate the polymer/nanoclay composites’ morphology and, hence, their decider bulk properties such as elastic modulus, strength, thermal stability, self healing, heat distortion temperature, shape memory abilities as well as gas barrier.

3) What becomes if a suitably oranic modified clay is being used:

By altering the nanoclay surface via organic treatment will provide a hydrophobic environment to the galleries of the nanoclay and increase its similarity with the polymer matrix.

4) The three required techniques are listed below :

SEM:

The framework of nano- clay and modified nano clay are analysed by the use of FESEM.

TEM:

The particle size of the modified nanoclay can be generally calculated by the use of TEM analysis to the nanostrucure property of modified clay.

XRD:

X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was used for the characterization of the interlayer d-spacing of the nanoclay galleries and for the dispersion of nanoclay that is present in the structure of the polymer nanocomposite. Altered nanoclay, represents the inhancement in the d-spacing of the nanoclays which proves that the altered agent is profitability intercalated into the nanoclay galleries as a result pushing the nanoclay layers and certify that the process of modification has taken place. This inhancement in the d spacing generates the mesoporous structure of modified nanoclay.

Thank you!!!