Styrene and Butyl Acrylate Polymerization in Nonionic Microemulsions in Presence of Layered Silicates

Abstract

It was studied the polymerization of styrene (St) and of butyl acrylate (BuA) in nonionic microemulsions in the presence of a layered alumino silicates, montmorilonit (MMT) type. In time, the latexes separate in two distinct strata, MMT being distributed in the inferior strata where forms aggregates with on order of size bigger than the diameters of nanoparticles of latex. The solid products obtained are nanohybrids of intercalate type whose structural order increases direct proportional with the increase of hydrophobic character of the quaternary ammonium salts used for organophilization of MMT. The presence of nonionic surfactant, nonyl phenol with 25 mols of ethylene oxide, intercalated between the lamellar strata of MMT produces the decrease of thermal stability of hybrids and decreases the glass transition temperature of PSt which is more compatible than PBuA.

Keywords:

• Microemulsion
• clay
• nanocomposites