Self-assembly of polycarbonate/organoclay nanocomposites

Abstract

Polycarbonate/organoclay nanocomposites, from CD (compact disc) protectors and locally synthesized organoclay, were prepared by in-melt intercalation technique. The organic-inorganic hybrid structures were characterized by XRD and TEM. The results of TEM show that the silicate layers of the organoclay were self-organized in the polycarbonate matrix forming exfoliated structures. This behavior was also observed in the XRD spectra. The self-assembly of the clay layers gave a remarkable increase in mechanical properties and decrease in glass transition temperature compared with the pristine resin.