A new composite material which contained inorganic plate crystals clathrated by polymer matrix and/or a chemical bond between them was prepared. For the preparation of the composite material, which was composed of polyacrylamide (PAAm) and calcite (CaCO
3) mainly, some chemical procedures were used. Namely, when Ca (OH)
2obtained by hydration of CaO was mixed in an aqueous solution of PAAm, the viscosity of PAAm solution increased by progress of a crosslinking reaction and a growth of hexagonal plate crystals of Ca (OH) a was observed in the viscous solution of PAAm.When the weight ratio of PAAm/Ca (OH)
2 was about10%, the crystal growth was most effective. The PAAm-Ca (OH)
2mixture solution was dehydrated and moulded by filter press.After that, the moulding material (moisture content: about50%) was carbonated by CO
2gas in an autoclave.Most of the plate crystals of Ca (OH)
2changed to plate crystals of calcite in the polymer matrix.
The composite material obtained in this manner possessed appreciablly good mechanical properties. For example, the material with10weight% of PAAm/Ca (OH)
2ratio showed a bending strength of700kg/cm
2and a compression strength of950kg/cm
2.
View full abstract