Ultrasound assisted solvent free intercalation of montmorillonite with PEG1000: A new type of organoclay with improved thermal properties

This study investigates the intercalation of low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol), PEG1000, into a montmorillonite-type Anatolian clay mineral (MMTA) using ultrasound sonication in a solvent free medium to produce a new type of organoclay with improved thermal properties. The results from the particle size distribution and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the PEG-MMT composites revealed that the ultrasonication process caused a significant reduction in the size of MMTA without destroying its crystalline structure. The XRD results also revealed that PEG1000 was successfully intercalated into the galleries of MMTA. The best PEG-MMT composites have a particle size distribution that ranges between 396 and 1280 nm, and they provide a heat storage capacity of 104.8 Jg−1 at −32.9 to 43.0 °C and heat release capacity of 107.0 Jg−1 at 27-17.2 °C. The thermal cyclic analyses indicated that no degradation or segregation of PEG1000 occurred within the composites. The ultrasound sonication in a solvent free medium can be suggested to be an effective modification route for the intercalation of MMT using nontoxic and biocompatible PEGs during the production of organoclays.