“WETTABILITY OF HDPE/ ORGANOPHILIC CLAY / POLYVINYLALCOHOL NANOCOMPOSITES”

M. C. CARRERA, E. ERDMANN, H. A. DESTÉFANIS, M. L. DIAS, V. J. R. R. PITA.

Roma

Conferencia; X International Conference on Nanostructured Materials, NANO 2010; 2010

International Committee on nanostructured materials

Nanocomposite materials consisting of inorganic nanolayers of organophylic montmorillonite clay and organic polymers have been an emerging method to improve properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and then many HDPE-based nanocomposites have recently been developed for different applications. Wetting of polymeric surfaces is an important characteristic in many industrial applications as lubrication, printing, and painting and the wettability of surfaces was reported to be affected by superficial modification of the polymer matrix with incorporation of clay [1]. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an organoclay modified with polyvinyl alcohol on the HDPE wettability properties, as a function of the amount of organoclay. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium (MMTHDTMA)-exchanged montmorillonite, subsequently modified with polyvinyl alcohol and HDPE were used. Nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation method. This method involved the mixing of the layered silicate with the polymer and heating the mixture above his softening point. The studied surface properties were the adhesion work and the surface tension from contact angle measurements in a ramé-hart model 200 standard contact angle goniometer. The following solvents were used for measurements: deionized water, ethylene glycol, diiodomethane and bromonaphthalene. According to the results, it was concluded that the wettability of the polymer increases by incorporating PVAmodified clay in the polyolefin, this behaviour was verified by the increase in the contact angle with respect to the pristine HDPE. The behavior was observed for all the solvents used and is very important for many industrial applications (otrhopedic science, tissue engineering [2], drug delivery, etc.). [1] K. Kurihara et al. Microelect. Eng. 87 (2010)1424. [2] J. Chakraborty et al. Coll. and Surf. B: Biointerf. 66 82 (2008) 295.HDTMA)-exchanged montmorillonite, subsequently modified with polyvinyl alcohol and HDPE were used. Nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation method. This method involved the mixing of the layered silicate with the polymer and heating the mixture above his softening point. The studied surface properties were the adhesion work and the surface tension from contact angle measurements in a ramé-hart model 200 standard contact angle goniometer. The following solvents were used for measurements: deionized water, ethylene glycol, diiodomethane and bromonaphthalene. According to the results, it was concluded that the wettability of the polymer increases by incorporating PVAmodified clay in the polyolefin, this behaviour was verified by the increase in the contact angle with respect to the pristine HDPE. The behavior was observed for all the solvents used and is very important for many industrial applications (otrhopedic science, tissue engineering [2], drug delivery, etc.). [1] K. Kurihara et al. Microelect. Eng. 87 (2010)1424. [2] J. Chakraborty et al. Coll. and Surf. B: Biointerf. 66 82 (2008) 295.