Preparation and rheological characterization of poly(n-butyl methacrylate)/montmorillonite composites

Intercalated nanocomposites constituted of poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) as the matrix and an organically modified montmorillonite as the nanosize filler were prepared and rheologically characterized in detail. The rheological behavior of the composites showed dependence on both temperature and clay content. For composites of low clay contents, the steady shear viscosity showed a Newtonian plateau in the low shear rate region at low temperatures and the plateau was replaced by a shear-thinning curve when the temperature was raised. For composites of higher clay contents, strong shear-thinning behavior were observed at all shear rates and all temperatures. The viscoelastic data of the composites showed unusual terminal behavior of a decreasing terminal slope at low frequencies with increasing temperature and clay loading. X-ray diffraction spectra showed that annealing process at higher temperatures shifted the Bragg reflection peaks to a lower angle and broadened the peaks, which provided the evidence for the existence of a temperature-induced solid-like structure that was responsible for the shear thinning and the unusual terminal viscoelastic behavior.