Preparation and characterization of nylon 6\Cu2+-exchanged and Fe3+exchanged montmorillonite nanocomposite

Nylon 6\Cu2+-exchanged and Fe3+-exchanged montmorillonite nanocomposites have been prepared by a melt intercalation technique directly from Cu2+-exchanged and Fe3+-exchanged montmorillonite. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide was chosen as the clay\matrix reactive compatibilizer. The intercalation spacing and the degree of dispersion were determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Also the thermal character of the nanocomposites prepared was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis.