Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposites Prepared Using Elastomeric Terpolymer and Nano-SiO₂

Abstract

Nanocomposites were obtained by mixing elastomeric terpolymer and nano-SiO₂ in double-screw extruder at 130–150°C, in which elastomeric terpolymer was prepared by terpolymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA) macromonomer, butyl acrylate (BA), and acrylic acid (AA) in benzene using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The results indicated that increasing the amount of PMMA, the molecular weight of PMMA and terpolymers as well as the content of carboxylic acid were favorable to increase the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. In addition, the tensile strength and the modulus at 300% elongation of nanocomposites reach to a maximum while the mass ratio of nano-SiO₂ to terpolymer is 3%.

Keywords:

• Macromonomer
• Methyl methacrylate
• Nano-silica
• Nanocomposites
• Radical polymerization

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Nation Natural Science Foundation of China (NoS: 20772101) and China Hunan Provincial Science & Technology Department (NoS: 2009FJ3037).

Notes

^a TS: tensile strength, UE: ultimate elongation, M: modulus at 300% elongation, PS: permanent set.

^b nanocomposites made from terpolymers containing 3% AA, BA, PMMA macromonomer with a molecular weight of 1.75 × 10⁴ and 3% nano-SiO₂ (based on total mass of terpolymer).

^a Nanocomposites prepared using terpolymers with mass ratio of PMMA macromonomers : BA : AA = 24.7 : 72.3 : 3.0 and 3% nano-SiO₂ (based on total mass of terpolymer).

^a Nanocomposites prepared using the terpolymers obtained by terpolymerization (BA:AA = 24.7:72.3:3.0) and 3.0% nano-SiO₂ (based on total mass of terpolymer).

^a Nanocomposites prepared using the terpolymer containing 31% PMMA (Mn = 1.75 × 10⁴) and 3.0% nano-SiO₂ (based on total mass of terpolymer).

^a Nanocomposites prepared using the terpolymers obtained by terpolymerization at mass ratio of PMMA macromonomer (Mn = 1.75 × 10⁴):BA:AA = 24.7:72.3:3.0 and different amounts of nano-SiO₂.