| Abstract: | Vinyl chloride–acrylonitrile (VC–AN) copolymer was synthesized through emulsion copolymerization. VC–AN copolymer/silica nanocomposites were prepared by solution blending of copolymer and silica in a common solvent, N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). The rheology studies show that the shear‐thinning behavior of the VC–AN copolymer solution becomes less distinct as nano particles are introduced. It was also found that the viscosity of the copolymer solution decreases with adding small amount of nano particles. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicate that the UV‐treated silica could disperse well in the copolymer matrix. Differential scanning calorimeter studies suggest that the presence of the silica suppresses crystallization of the AN segments in the copolymers. Because of the interactions between copolymer chains and inorganic particles, the thermal stability and mechanical strength of the VC–AN copolymers are improved considerably. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3127–3134, 2005 |
