Mechanical and tribological behavior of clay–polypropylene nanocomposites

This study deals with the wear rates and quasistatic mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) infused with layered organo-modified montmorillonite nanoclays. Test results show that PP infused with 2 wt.% of organomodified montmorillonite gives improved mechanical strength, higher fracture toughness, and lower wear rates. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the structure of the modified nanocomposite changes from an exfoliated structure at 1 wt.% nanoclay loading to an intercalated structures at 5 wt.% nanoclay loading. The general improvement in properties, which includes but not limited to the thermal barrier properties, may be attributed to the change in structure.