Renewable Polymeric Nanocomposite Synthesis Using Renewable Functionalized Soybean-Oil-Based Intercalant and Matrix

Completely bio-based and renewable polymeric nanocomposites have been prepared using an in situ polymerization technique in the presence of organically-modified montmorillonite (MMT) clays in different loading degrees. Acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and styrene have been used as matrices, whereas modification of MMT has been clone by using a new renewable soybean-oil-based intercalant. quarternized functionalized acrylated epoxidized soybean oil, which is the first renewable intercalant described in the literature. It was found that the above-mentioned intercalant could be successfully intercalated between the interlayer galleries of montmorillonite which is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The nanocomposite formation Studies examined by both XRD and AFM showed that the desired exfoliated nanocomposite structures can be achieved with all nanofiller loadings. The resultant exfoliated nanocomposites were found to have significantly improved thermal stability and dynamic mechanical performance at very low loadings. The nanocomposites from both renewable intercalant and matrix offer a significant potential for new high-volume. low-cost application,,. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2008