Caracterização e desenvolvimento de argilas para aplicação em nanocompósitos poliméricos

Abstract

Brazil is a producer of clay and has large reserves of this natural resource. However, most of its production is sold dried and milled." The development of clays for use as reinforcement in polymer nanocomposites is an option for these raw material producers, who would thus have a product with higher added value . This study aims to evaluate the potential use as nanofiller of two national clays from Taubaté basin, São Paulo, called ALIGRA and SANTA FE. In this experiment, the fractions of particles with average size of less than 0.02 obtained through wet sieving were used. The characterization studies involving granulometric, chemical, mineralogical, morphological, thermal and textural analysis, revealed very similar characteristics in both the clays. Clay fraction (< 2&#956;m) is higher 70%. Chemical composition as the definition of clay and its components show intermediate values between those present by bentonite and kaolinitic clays used here for purposes of comparison. It should be underlined good adsorptive properties. Specific surface area BET (aBET) around of 120 m2/g, this value is higher than showed by many bentonites (74.5 m2/g). They are predominantly mesoporous, the pores predominantly in slit-shape in accordance to the characteristic layered structure of the clays. Low cationic exchange capacities (CEC), 12 meq/100 g. XRD results for samples saturated with ethylene glycol and heated revealed the predominance of illite/smectite, kaolinite and quartz in ALIGRA clay, and illite, kaolinite and quartz in the clay SANTA FE. Work continued with the clay ALIGRA the preparation of organoclay. The organoclay was obtained by ion exchange with the quaternary ammonium salt: cetril trimethyl ammonium chloride, after homogenized in sodium with sodium chloride. FTIR and TGA analyzes indicated that there was integration of organic cations Preliminary tests were performed by preparing mixtures of clays with a polypropylene matrix, and using polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride as a compatibilizer. Results of tensile tests made in the polypropilene- purified clay compositions have reported some improvements in some tested properties. With polipropilene-organofilized compositions only improved elongation on break. More detailed studies are which would be required.