Synthesis and characterization of poly (methyl metiiacrylate)/ montmorillonite nanocomposites by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization

PMMA/clay nanocomposites are prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the distribution of clay in the polymer matrix and observe the morphology of the resulting nanocomposites, respectively. The exfoliated nanocomposites were successfully prepared up to 10wt% pristine Na⁺-MMT incorporation. Compared to neat PMMA, the glass transition temperature and sloraye modulus of PMAMA/clay nanocomposites became higher without significant increasn in refraclirn index. PMMA/clay nanocomposites were found to retain over 70% of transparency, which is important for optical applications.