Effect of Compatibilizer Content on the Shear and Extensional Rheology of Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites |
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Authors: | Qiang Li Qi Yang Yajiang Huang Guangling Chen Yadong Lv |
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Affiliation: | College of Polymer Science and Engineering, the State Key Laboratory for Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University , Chengdu , China |
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Abstract: | The shear and extensional rheology of polypropylene (PP)/organoclay nanocomposites in the presence of various maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) compatibilizer concentrations were investigated. The PP nanocomposites were prepared via direct melt intercalation in an internal mixer. The structures of the nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that both the compatibilized and uncompatibilized nanocomposites could form an intercalated structure. However, the organoclay particles can disperse well only in the compatibilized systems. The linear viscoelastic properties, including the storage modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* were very sensitive to the microstructure of the nanocomposites. The extensional viscosities of PP nanocomposites were enhanced under a low deformation rate with increasing compatibilizer content and displayed a lack of superposition for different strain rates. It was proposed that the lack of superposition might originate from the formation of a three-dimensional organoclay network, which decreased in its complexity and strength as the deformation rate increased. |
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Keywords: | compatibilizer extensional rheology nanocomposites organoclay polypropylene shear rheology |
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