Effect of reactive amphiphiles on the silicate dispersion and degradation behavior of ABS/layered silicate nanocomposites

Abstract

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS)/layered silicate nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ emulsion polymerization and the effect of reactive amphiphiles on the silicate dispersion was investigated. Three reactive amphiphiles with different hydrophobic chain lengths were synthesized (DC2, DC6, and DC12). ABS/layered silicate nanocomposites showed intercalated states of silicates when the reactive amphiphiles with short hydrophobic chain (DC2 or DC6) were added. On the other hand, the silicates were exfoliated in ABS matrix for the nanocomposite with the long chain amphiphiles (DC12). And we verified that silicate layers were attached on the surface of the graft ABS particles by using SEM and TEM. The nanocomposite obtained by using DC 12 produced a slightly larger amount of residue than those by DC2 and DC6 and its decomposition temperature was also higher. Therefore it could be concluded that reactive amphiphiles played an important role in the dispersibility of silicate and the degradation behavior of ABS/layered silicate nanocomposite.