Preparation, morphology, mechanical properties and fracture resistance of nanocomposites comprising montmorillonite and polypropylene

The preparation procedure, mechanical properties, and fracture resistance of nanocomposites comprising polypropylene and montmorillonite were discussed. Nnaofillers were prepared by a treatment of sodium montmorillonite silicate clay with a aminosilane coupling agent. Smaller and fewer aggregates were observed at lower filler concentrations. An improvement in modulus was achieved at low filler content for all composites considered. A brittle-like failure for both test materials in the environmental stress cracking conditions was also observed. The nanofillers may act as nucleating agents and can influence disentanglement of crystallites.