title: Morphology and thermal properties of clay/PMMA nanocomposites obtained by miniemulsion polymerization.
abstract: Miniemulsion polymerization was used as the synthetic method to produce clay/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites. Two kinds of interfacial interactions clay-polymer particle were observed by electron microscopy, one where the polymer particles are adhered on the surface of the larger fragments of clay, and another where nanometric fragments of clay are encapsulated by polymer particles. Variations in the glass transition temperature (T(g)) and thermomechanical properties of the matrix, as function of clay content, were observed. In particular, at the highest clay loading (1.0 wt%) depression of T(g) and thermomechanical properties were observed. The increased clay-polymer matrix interfacial area appears to be the conditioning factor that determines such behavior.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. Miguel de Cervantes No. 120, CP 31109, Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico.
authors.forename: Karla I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: García-Chávez
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Escobar
authors.forename: Sergio G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Flores-Gallardo
authors.forename: Florentino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soriano-Corral
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saucedo-Salazar
authors.forename: E Armando
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Zaragoza-Contreras
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077215:Clay; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D058105:Polymerization / Q000528:radiation effects*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D000077215:Clay