A comparative study of nanocomposites based on a recycled poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix containing several nanoclays

Abstract Nanocomposites of recycled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and both natural (Nanomer PGV MMT), and organically modified Nanomer I44P, Nanomer I30P and Cloisite 30B montmorillonites (O‐MMT) were prepared by solution dispersion method with the use of two miscible solvents, followed by melt intercalation process in a twin‐screw miniextruder. The final product has been found to show a homogeneous structure with a uniform dispersion/intercalation of the silicate layers. The effect of MMT and O‐MMT layers on the properties of the nanocomposites was investigated and characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, and mechanical testing. Higher contents of nanoclay in nanocomposites exhibited worse light transmittance capacity but higher tensile modulus. Properties of the samples depended not only on the clay contents (up to 10 wt%) but also on the clay type employed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers