Structure and properties of PP/OMMT nanocomposites

Polypropylene (PP)/organomontmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by the melt intercalation method. The dispersion of clay was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). TEM images and XRD patterns demonstrated that the dispersion structure was extremely disordered and close to exfoliated structure in these nanocomposites. The experimental results showed that the mechanical properties of nanocomposites were improved rapidly at a very low content of clay. More importantly, the mechanical performance of PP/OMMT nanocomposites was improved further by importing the compatilizer, which was beneficial to improving the interfacial interaction between PP and OMMT. Compared with pure PP, when the content of the compatilizer was 10 phr, and OMMT was 1 phr, the prepared PP/OMMT nanocomposites possessed the best mechanical properties.