Functionalization of nanoclays with ionic liquids for polypropylene composites

Abstract Cationic nanoclays were treated by ion exchange with various ionic liquids (ILs) containing cations and anions of different structure and/or molecular weight in order to investigate the effects of the IL structure and cation chain length on extent of clay dispersion, intercalation, and thermal stability. The modified clays containing imidazolium‐, pyridinium‐, and phosphonium‐based cations were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffraction. Although the thermal stability of pure ILs was mostly controlled by the type of the anion present, high temperature thermal stability of the modified clays, at the IL cation loadings achieved in this work, was not significantly dependent on type, structure, or size of the cation. The latter parameters, however, were of significant importance in controlling degree of dispersion of the nanoclays during melt compounding with polypropylene (PP). Basal spacing increased proportionally to the size and type of the intercalated cations and showed little change in the PP composites. Although commercial organoclays were shown to be less thermally stable than IL modified clays, they exhibited larger basal spacing and better dispersion characteristics in the polyolefin matrix; however, they increased to the same extent the thermal stability of the PP matrix as the phosphonium modified clays. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers