Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/Clay Nanocomposites by Melt Compounding

The crystalline structures, morphologies, and mechanical properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/clay nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), polarized optical microscopy(POM), and tensile tests. The results of XRD and TEM show that organoclays are dispersed in the poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) matrix. A clay-induced crystal transformation from α-phase to β-phase of PVFD was confirmed by XRD and FTIR. Clay layers restricted the growth of spherulite. The tensile tests indicate that the tensile modulus and yield strength as well as the elongation at break decrease when clay is loaded.