An acrylic acid modified polypropylene as a compatibilizing agent for the intercalation/exfoliation of an organically modified montmorillonite in polypropylene

This work dealt with the effect of using an acrylic acid modified polypropylene (PP‐g‐AA) as a compatibilizing agent for the intercalation/exfoliation of an organically modified montmorillonite (o‐MMT) in a polypropylene matrix (PP). Two PP‐g‐AA containing the same AA content (6 wt %) and having different molar masses were used. The o‐MMT content was 0, 1, or 5 wt % of total mass and the PP‐g‐AA/o‐MMT mass ratio was 0/1, 1/1, 2/1, or 5/1. Results of wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) showed that without the PP‐g‐AA, the o‐MMT was dispersed in the PP/o‐MMT in a micrometer scale, similar to a conventional microcomposite. With the PP‐g‐AA, the o‐MMT was much better dispersed and its interlayers were intercalated and partly exfoliated by the polymer chains. Compared with the neat PP, some PP/PP‐g‐AA/o‐MMT systems exhibited higher G′ values and a yield stress at low frequencies, indicating that the PP‐g‐AA promoted the intercalation/exfoliation of the o‐MMT. The compatibilizing efficiency of those two PP‐g‐AA was very similar. Generally speaking, the higher the PP‐g‐AA/o‐MMT mass ratio, the better the state of dispersion and the degree of intercalation/exfoliation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1811–1819, 2008