Preparation and properties of UV-cured acrylated silane intercalated polymer/LDH nanocomposite

A novel UV-cured polymer/layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposite was prepared by modifying the LDH with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and [3-(methyl-acroloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (KH570) followed by UV irradiation after blended into a acrylate system. From the XRD analyses, the SDS-modified LDH-DS presented the basal spacing of 2.67 nm, whereas the further KH570-intercalated LDH-KH showed a slight decrease to 2.41 nm. After UV irradiated the exfoliated microstructure was formed, and observed by TEM and HR-TEM, showing the fine dispersion and random orientation of LDH in the polymer matrix. The storage modulus and glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite containing 5% LDH-KH increased to 47.5 MPa and 67.8 °C, respectively, from 39.7 MPa and 66 °C of the pure polymer from DMTA measurements. The tensile strength and Persoz hardness were enhanced to 10.6 MPa and 111 s, respectively, from 7.7 MPa and 85 s of the pure polymer.