Morphology and Properties of Polypropylene Nanocomposites Based on a Silanized Organoclay

Non-silanized (C15A) and silanized (s-C15A) M₂(HT)₂ organoclays were used to form PP and PP/PP-g-MA (mass of PP-g-MA to mass of organoclay ratio of 1) nanocomposites by melt blending. The morphology and properties of the nanocomposites were evaluated using stress-strain analysis, wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with particle analysis, and thermal mechanical analysis (TMA). The silanized organoclay increases relative modulus more than the non-silanized precursor, but not as much as either organoclay with PP-g-MA compatibilizer.