High-performance nanocomposites synergistically reinforced by 2-dimensional montmorillonite and 0-dimensional nano TiO₂

Abstract

Comprehensive high-performance epoxy nanocomposites were successfully prepared by co-incorporating 2-dimensional montmorillonite (MMT) and 0-dimensional nano TiO2 co-incorporated into epoxy. Mechanical tests and thermal analyses show that the resulting epoxy/MMT/nano TiO2 nanocomposites obtained are obviously superior to pure epoxy, epoxy/MMT nanocomposites, and epoxy/nano TiO2 nanocomposites in tensile modulus, tensile strength, flexural modulus, flexural strength, notch impact strength, glass transition temperature, and thermal decomposition temp-erature. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy inspection reveal that in the epoxy/MMT/nano TiO2 nanocomposites, the MMT is completely exfoliated into 2-dimensional nanoscale mono-platelets, which is intermingled with the 0-dimensional nano TiO2 spheres in epoxy resion. This study shows is that co-incorporating two proper, dimensionally different nanomaterials into polymer matrices could be a successful pathway in preparing comprehensive high-performance polymer nanocomposites.

Keywords

• organo MMT
• nano TiO₂
• dimensionality
• epoxy
• nanocomposite