Montmorillonite modified by unsaturated compatibilizing agents and by ionizing radiation as a potential filler in polymeric composites

For last several years we have studied modifications of montmorillonite (MMT) with different agents and the structural changes resulting from the processes. The aim of present work was focused on the preparation of polymer composites from epoxy resin and dispersed phase modified chemically and subsequently activated by irradiation. The paper presents investigations concerning intercalation of MMT by the synthesized unsaturated organophilic agents (on the basis of quaternary ammonium salts). The process was studied by: wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), Fourier- -transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); additionally mechanical properties of the polymer composite as well as its microscopic structure were tested. It was found that unsaturated quaternary ammonium salts can intercalate between MMT layers. The possibility of radiation-induced compatibilization between modified MMT particles and polymeric matrix was also studied. It was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy that in the synthesized salts stable radicals are formed during irradiation, however their influence on mechanical properties of the final composite is insignificant.