Interface control in polymer/clay nanocomposites

In order to suppress a repulsive interfacial energy between hydrophilic clay and hydrophobic polymer matrix in preparing a polymer/clay nanocomposite, a third component of amphiphilic nature such as poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) was introduced into the model system of styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN)/Na-montmorillonite. Once $\varepsilon$-caprolactone was polymerized in the presence of Na-rnontmorillonite, the successful ring-opening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone and the well-developed exfoliated structure of PCL/Na-montmorillonite mixture were confirmed, Thereafter, SAN was melt-mixed with PCL/Na-montmorillonite nanocomposite, which resulted in that SAN matrix and PCL fraction were completely miscible to form homogeneous mixture with retention of the exfoliated state of Na-montmorillonite, exhibiting that PCL effectively stabilizes the repulsive polymer/clay interface and contributes the improvement of mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.