Comparison Between Structures and Properties of ABS Nanocomposites Derived from Two Different Kinds of OMT

In the present work, the hexadecyl triphenyl phosphonium bromide (P16) and cetyl pyridium chloride (CPC) were used to modify montmorillonite (MMT) based on the structural characteristic of the engineering thermoplastic acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) and the principle of “like dissolves like”, and then used to prepare the ABS/organic-modified montmorillonite (OMT) nanocomposites by melt-intercalation method. The influences of two different kinds of OMT on the structures and properties of the ABS nanocomposites were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Cone calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA), respectively. The increased basal spacing showed that ABS intercalated into the gallery of the OMT. The morphology indicated that the OMT dispersed well in the ABS resin and the intercalated structure for ABS/OMT-P16 nanocomposites and intercalated-exfoliated structure for ABS/OMT-CPC nanocomposites were respectively formed. The TGA results revealed that onset temperature of thermal degradation and charred residue at 700 °C of the ABS nanocomposites was remarkably enhanced compared to the pure ABS. It was also found from the Cone calorimetry tests that the peak of heat release rate (PHRR) decreased significantly, contributing to the reduced flammability. The DMA measurements indicated that the loading of silicate clays improved the storage modulus of the ABS resin. The partial exfoliation of the OMT-CPC within ABS nanocomposites was advantageous to increasing thermal stability properties, decreasing flammability properties, and improving mechanical properties.