CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

In recent years, polymer/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites have attracted great interest, both in industry and in academia. This is because MMT filled composites often exhibit remarkable improvement in material properties with only a low percentage of MMT fillers added. One of the major findings that have stimulated the interest in MMT filled nanocomposites was with small amount of layered silicate (MMT) added into nylon-6, pronounced improvements in thermal and mechanical properties (Okada et al., 1990).

It is possible to melt-mix polymers with layered silicates, without the use of organic solvents (Via et al., 1993). For MMT particles, the nano scale is coming from layer thickness. Most research studies on polymer/MMT nanocomposites are focusing on the method to produce

intercalated or exfoliated structures in the MMT layers (Wang MS et al., 1994, Aranda P et al., 1992, wang D et al., 2002, Lan T et al., 1995).

2.2 Material selection

In this research, the materials used were polypropylene (PP), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), montmorillonite clay minerals (MMT), maleic anhydride, silane, and stearic acid.

2.2.1

Montmorillonite (MMT)

Just as polymers abound in the world of organics, so do they abound in the world of inorganic. In organic polymers were the major components of soil, mountains, and sand. Inorganic polymers were also extensively employed as abrasives and cutting materials (diamond, boron, etc), coatings, flame retardants, building and constructions materials (window glass stone, brick, tiles, etc), lubricants and catalyst (zinc oxide, nickel

oxide, carbon black, graphite, silica gel, alumina, aluminum silicate, chromium oxides, clays, etc).