Synergistic effect of montmorillonite–clay and gamma irradiation on the characterizations of waste polyamide copolymer and reclaimed rubber powder nanocomposites

A study on the mechanical properties and thermal evolution of waste polyamide copolymer/waste rubber powder and montmorillonite–clay (WPA/RRP/MMT) nanocomposites exposed to gamma-rays (0–200 kGy) has been carried out. TGA and DSC were used to investigate the influence of the exposure dose and the incorporation of montmorillonite–clay on the thermal parameters of the prepared composites. It was observed that both parameters were highly affected by the incorporated clay and dose. The structural and morphological studies were done by means of EDX and SEM to investigate the structural change imputed by the clay incorporation and irradiation. The chemical absorption behavior of MMT nanocomposites in HCl and NaOH media was investigated. The results show that irradiation markedly magnified the thermal stability and the tensile strength of the nanocomposite.