2016 年 20 巻 2 号 p. 31-37
The effect of maleic anhydride (MAH)-grafted polypropylene (PP) on the structure and mechanical properties of PP nanocomposites was examined using identical experimental conditions. MAH-grafted PP was prepared with various concentrations of MAH, using tert-butylbenzoxylate as the initiator in xylene at 140℃. The MAH grafting ratio of the resulting three samples was estimated by 1H-NMR measurement. The MAH content were controlled to PP/MAH = 100/0.1 to 100/0.5 by mass ratio. An organically modified clay was melt-kneaded with PP and the MAH-grafted PP in a twin-screw kneader. The exfoliation of the clay layers in the polymer matrix was fairly advanced with the grafting ratio. Depending upon the morphology change, the tensile modulus of the nanocomposite is increased by a factor of roughly 1.5 compared to that of the non-reinforced polymer. Dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) were conducted to compare the rheological properties of PP and high MAH-grafted PP systems. The incorporation of clay layers in the MAH-grafted PP led to a considerable increase in the storage modulus (E') and a shift to higher temperatures in the α relaxation peaks for polymer.
