| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 817176 | Composites Part B: Engineering | 2015 | 8 Pages |
Montmorillonite was rendered organophilic with acryloxyethyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (denoted as OMMT-AD), and a series of cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM)/OMMT-AD composites were synthesized via an in situ intercalation polymerization. It was found that with increasing AD content, the interlayer spacing of OMMT and the thickness of the intercalated AD chains increased, and the saturation content of AD molecules in the MMT layers was 2.0 CEC. Some orderly structures of AD molecules formed between the MMT layers, and MMT was proposed to present lateral-monolayer, lateral-bilayer and paraffin-type monolayer conformations in the confined space of MMT. The cationic degree and reduced viscosity of the CPAM/OMMT-AD composites decreased with the increase of the OMMT-AD content. The strong intermolecular interaction appeared between the CPAM and the OMMT-AD, and the OMMT-AD platelets dispersed well with an exfoliated state in CPAM matrix as indicated by X-ray diffraction analysis and TEM observation. Compared with solution intercalation, the composites prepared by in situ intercalation polymerization had better stability and dispersion of MMT in the CPAM matrix. The dewaterability of the waste sludge was improved by using CPAM/OMMT-AD composites.
