Investigation of Thermal and Rheological Properties of Polypropylene and Montmorillonite (MMT) Nanocomposites

The performances of PP/MMT nanocomposite (70μm thick films), in terms of thermal and rheological properties were investigated. A twin-screw extruder was used to compound PP, MMT, compatibilizer, and extruded nanocomposite films were collected for test. All results were compared and the influence of MMT contents on the final properties were observed and reported. The thermal properties of PP had improved by increasing MMT content from 0-3 phr. However at 4 phr thermal stability of the nanocomposite had slightly dropped. In terms of rhelogical properties, the addition of MMT to the PP blend increased the complex viscosity of the nanocomposites, particularly at low frequency regions.