Preparation and properties of organo-montmorillonite/cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber nanocomposites by solution intercalation

Organo-montmorillonite (OMMT)/cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber (BR) nanocomposites were prepared by solution intercalation. The microstructure of these composites was characterized by TEM and XRD. The effect of OMMT on mechanical properties, thermal stability and swelling behavior of the nanocomposites was investigated. TEM and XRD confirmed the intercalated structure of OMMT/BR nanocomposites. When the OMMT content was < 12 mass%, the nanocomposites showed excellent tensile properties, which was attributed to the nanometer scale dispersion and stronger interactions between OMMT and BR chains. The introduction of a small amount of OMMT greatly improved the thermal stability and swelling behavior, which was attributed to the good barrier properties of OMMT layers.