Preparation of Optically Transparent Films of Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and Montmorillonite

Abstract

Transparent polymeric material with enhanced thermal, mechanical and barrier properties are of special interest for advanced structural, optical and photonic applications. The present paper reports a novel solution processing scheme for fabricating optically transparent polymer nanocomposites involving organophilic layered silicates. It is shown that the nanocomposite material prepared with PMMA and an organically modified montmorrilonite maintains the excellent optical transparency of PMMA. Small-angle x-ray scattering of the polymer nanocomposite material does not show any Bragg's reflection of the organophilic layered silicate. The optical transparency of the nanocomposite material is attributed to a high degree of exfoliation of the montmoailonite in the polymer matrix.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADP012208

Entities

People

  • Chyi-shan Wang
  • Elena Vasiliu
  • Richard A. Vaia

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Composite Materials
  • Engineered Materials
  • Materials
  • Materials Engineering
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Mixing
  • Nanocomposites
  • Phyllosilicates
  • Polymer Matrix Composites
  • Polymer-Matrix Nanocomposites
  • Scattering
  • Visible Spectra
  • X Ray Scattering
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science