Compatibilizing Effect of Halloysite Nanotubes on Polyetherimide/Silicone Rubber Blend Based Nanocomposites

ABSTRACT

The present study deals with the preparation of nanocomposites comprising of polyetherimide (PEI) and silicone rubber reinforced with both unmodified and modified halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by melt blending process with the aid of co-rotating twin screws extruder. The developed nanocomposites have been characterized by various sophisticated analytical instrument viz. TGA, DMA, SEM,TEM, FTIR and UTM. There is remarkable enhancement in various properties of the developed nanocomposites due to incorporation of modified HNTs. This can be attributed to fairly good dispersion of the HNTs in the polymer matrix resulting in reductions of filler-filler interaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Blends
• HNTs
• mechanical properties
• nanocomposites
• PEI
• silicone rubber

Acknowledgments

Authors gratefully acknowledge ER-IPR, DRDO New Delhi for financial support.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation [ERIP/ER/1402243/M/01/1572 dated 19/05/2015]