Abstract
Hybrid nanocomposites were successfully prepared by the incorporation of polyethersulfone (PES) and organoclay into epoxy resin. They had higher fracture toughness than the prepared PES/epoxy blend and organoclay/epoxy nanocomposites. The microstructures of the hybrid nanocomposites were studied. They were comprised of homogeneous PES/epoxy semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) matrices and organoclay micro-agglomerates made up of tactoid-like regions composed of ordered exfoliated organoclay with various orientations. The former was confirmed with dynamic mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, while the latter was successfully observed with X-ray diffraction measurements, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The improvement of their fracture toughness was due to the synergistic toughening effect of the PES and the organoclay and related to their microstructures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 526-534 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | High Performance Polymers |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- epoxy
- fracture toughness
- microstructure
- nanocomposite
- organoclay