Material CharacterisationCharacterisation of poly(vinyl alcohol)-montmorillonite composites with higher clay contents

Polymer composites comprised of poly(vinyl alcohol) and montmorillonite with higher clay loadings have been prepared and characterised. The extent of intercalation in the composites was examined over a range of compositions using scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The incorporation of an acidification step followed by washing the clay results in a homogenous polymer-clay film. The source of montmorillonite was found to have an effect on the morphology of the clay in the resulting composite. Montmorillonite was obtained from two sources and different clay structures within the polymer - clay composites were identified in each case, indicating that the choice of clay is an important consideration when producing poly(vinyl alcohol) - montmorillonite composites with higher clay content.