Melt-processable syndiotactic polystyrene/montmorillonite nanocomposites |
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Authors: | Z M Wang T C Chung J W Gilman E Manias |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802;2. Fire Science Division, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 |
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Abstract: | Monoalkyl- and dialkyl-imidazolium surfactants were used to prepare organically modified montmorillonites with markedly improved thermal stability in comparison with their alkyl-ammonium equivalents (the decomposition temperatures increased by ca. 100 °C). Such an increase in the thermal stability affords the opportunity to form syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS)/imidazolium-montmorillonite nanocomposites even under static melt-intercalation conditions in the absence of high shear rates or solvents. Upon nanocomposite formation, s-PS exhibited an improvement in the thermal stability in comparison with neat s-PS, and the β-crystal form of s-PS became dominant. This crystallization response agrees with previous studies of s-PS/pyridinium-montmorillonite hybrids and is tentatively attributed to a heterogeneous nucleation action by the inorganic fillers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.* J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3173–3187, 2003 |
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Keywords: | nanocomposite syndiotactic polystyrene montmorillonite imidazolium |
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