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Rubber–clay nanocomposites
von Luca Giannini, Angela Lostritto, Stanislao Senatore, Maurizio Galimberti
Nanocomposites made of a diene rubber and layered clays are here discussed. Thermal stability of alkyl and aryl quaternary ammonium cations, used as modifiers of montmorillonite clays, was investigated in starting chloride salts, in organoclays obtained after exchange with montmorillonite (MMT) and in rubber composites, analysing the degradation products formed in temperature ranges typical of mixing and vulcanisation processes.
The nanostructure of clay intercalates was elucidated through X-ray and transmission electron microscopy analysis and a delamination mechanism not involving polymer intercalation is proposed. The reinforcing ability of organoclays was studied in sulphur cured compounds and a remarkable increase of shear modulus as well as Payne effect is shown. A percolation threshold around 7 wt% was discovered for layered organically modified nanofillers.