Using Vinyl Acetate, N-Hydroxymethyl Acrylamide, and Montmorillonite Intercalated by a Dioctadecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Bromide Surfactant to Prepare Exfoliated Nanocomposite through In Situ Polymerization

In this study, vinyl acetate, N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide (NMA), and organic montmorillonite intercalated by a dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide surfactant (MMT-DOAB) were used to prepare exfoliated nanocomposites through in situ polymerization. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, power-law function equation, Newtonian fluid flow equation, Cross-Williamson model viscous equation, Hooke's law, and Poisson's ratio equation revealed the structures, dispersion, rheology, and static tensile properties. The exfoliated nanocomposites were pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluids with good dispersion in water, great storage stability, and high static tensile strength at 6.89-8.15 MPa. The contents of NMA and MMT-DOAB increased with the changes in synthesis precursors, as the calculated molecular weights did. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.