Gang Huang1, Hossein Toghiani2, and Charles U. Pittman Jr.1. (1) Chemistry, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 9595, MS State, MS 39762, (2) Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 330 Swalm Circle President Dr., Mississippi State University, MS 39762
Five series of PT-30/organoclay (Cloisite 10A, Cloisite 30B, Nanomer I.28E, Nanomer I.30E and Nanomer I.44PA) composites were prepared and characterized. The dispersion of clay tactoids in PT-30 cyanate ester resin was studied by XRD and TEM. XRD analyses determined that the d-spacings of the nanoclay in each composite were expanded upon dispersing the clay in the PT-30 matrix compared to the as-received clay. TEM micrographs further demonstrated that intercalation of clay layers by PT-30 occurred during the curing process. Histograms of the clay tactoid distributions (e.g. the number of clay platelets per tactoid) were generated based on the combined XRD and TEM results. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of selected PT-30/clay composites were measured by DSC and compared. Partial clay exfoliation with some resin intercalation was demonstrated. The average flexural strengths and flexural moduli of all composites were obtained using three-point bending tests.