Comparison of in situ polymerization and solution-dispersion techniques in the preparation of Polyimide/Montmorillonite (MMT) Nanocomposites.
In this paper, Polyimide/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites (PI/MMT NCs), based on aromatic diamine (4-Aminophenyl sulfone) (APS) and aromatic dianhydride (3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride) (BTDA) were prepared using in situ polymerization and solution-dispersion techniques. The prepared PI/MMT NCs films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD results showed that at the content of 1.0 wt % Organo Montmorillonite (OMMT) for two techniques and 3.0 wt % OMMT for the in situ polymerization technique, the OMMT was well-intercalated, exfoliated and dispersed into polyimide matrix. The OMMT agglomerated when its amount exceeded 10 wt % and 3.0 wt % for solution-dispersion and in situ polymerization techniques respectively. These results were confirmed by the TEM images of the prepared PI/MMT NCs. The TGA thermograms indicated that thermal stability of prepared PI/MMT NCs were increased with the increase of loading that, the effect is higher for the samples prepared by in situ polymerization technique.
Department of Chemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; E-Mails:  mzobir@fsas.upm.edu.my  (M.Z.H.);  kamyarshameli@gmail.com  (K.S.).
Mansor Bin
MB
Ahmad
Yadollah
Y
Gharayebi
Mohd Sapuan
MS
Salit
Mohd Zobir
MZ
Hussein
Kamyar
K
Shameli
D001546:Bentonite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007094:Imides / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D058105:Polymerization; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013535:Suspensions / Q000737:chemistry; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D007094:Imides; D012996:Solutions; D013535:Suspensions; D001546:Bentonite