Chlorinated polyethylene/layered silicate nanocomposites: Poly(ε-caprolactone)-based “masterbatch” approach

Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)/organophilic-montmorillonite (Cloisite®30B (CL30B)) nanocomposites have been prepared by melt intercalation using (poly(ε-caprolactone), (PCL)) as CPE/clay compatibilizer. Actually, a high clay content masterbatch-based on PCL was first produced and then dispersed by melt blending within CPE. CPE/CL30B nanocomposites was also prepared by direct blending of CPE with CL30B for sake of comparison. All the composites were characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) while the mechanical properties were assessed by tensile testing. When using low molecular mass PCL chains as compatibilizer, the nanocomposites displayed a rather intercalated structure but their ultimate properties remained unchanged whereas with high molecular weight PCL chains, clay delamination was favoured and led to an increase of both thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites.