Grafting of polymers from clay nanoparticles via high-dose gamma-ray irradiation

In this work, the prepared mixture of low concentration of ethyl acrylate (EA) monomers and organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) particles in methanol solution was exposed to gamma-ray (γ-ray) irradiation. It was found that EA monomers first polymerized at relatively low radiation dose (< 10 kGy), then the polymerized PEA chains can graft onto the OMMT particles when the radiation dose increases above 185 kGy. Electron spin resonance (ESR) tests verified that a large amount of radicals could be created on PEA chains and the OMMT particles at high radiation dose. When the radicals on the PEA chains combined with the radicals on the surface of silicate layers of OMMT particles, the grafting reaction took place. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results all confirmed the presence of PEA grafting on the surface of the stacking silicate layers of OMMT particles.