Direct melt neutralization and nano-structure of polyethylene ionomer-based nano-composites

The highly neutralized ionomer-based nano-composite materials were prepared via direct melt processing using zinc oxide (as a neutralizating agent) and organically modified clay. The nano-structure was characterized using wide-angle X-ray diffraction analyses, transmission electron microscopy observations and rheometry. The dispersed organo-clay acted as catalytic sites for the neutralization. From TEM analyses, the nano-sized ionic aggregates with a domain size of approximately 2 nm were randomly arranged in the ionomer matrix. The calculated aggregates density for the nano-composite was 0.08–0.15 nm−2. The temperature-dependent relaxation process observed in the viscoelastic measurements was somehow affected by the presence of the silicate layers, whereas it was strongly affected by the specific interaction via ionic aggregated domains.