http://matdl.org/repository/ Materials Digital Library en Fez 1.3 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://matdl.org/repository/view/matdl:512 In this second paper of a two-part series dealing mainly with NMR characterization of nylon-6/clay nanocomposites (NnC’s) having nominally 5 mass % clay, measurements with application to processing are featured. The paramagnetism of the montmorillonite clays, discussed in the first paper, allowed us to use the corresponding spin-diffusion-moderated reduction in longitudinal proton relaxation time, T1 H, for two purposes, namely, to rank the quality of clay dispersion in NnC families with the same formulation and to investigate morphological stratification of the nylon-6 R- and ç-crystallites with respect to the clay surface. In a group of three NnC’s with the same formulation but different melt-blending conditions, variations in T1 H correlated well with previously published TEM assessments of the quality of the clay dispersion. Also, in a set of samples from an injection-molded, in situ polymerized NnC disk where strong variations in R/ç ratios were observed, it was found that these differences did not arise from processing-induced inhomogeneities in clay concentration; rather, variations in cooling histories throughout the disk was the more probable cause. In these latter samples, well-defined stratification of the ç-phase (versus the R-phase) crystallites nearer the clay surface did not occur until after annealing at 214 °C. We also examined the dependence of NnC T1 H’s on the static field of the measurement. It is clear that the magnitude of the paramagnetic contribution to T1 H is a function of field and of Fe3+ concentration in the clay. Trends support the notion that spin-exchange interactions between the electrons on different Fe3+ ions largely define the spectral density of magnetic fluctuations near the clay surface. Some attention was, therefore, given to optimizing Fe3+ concentrations for the best NnC characterization. Finally, we investigated the chemical stability of a particular organic modifier (OM), which is used to pretreat the clay prior to melt blending. The OM, dimethyl, dehydrogenated-tallow ammonium ion, was followed in the process of blending this modified clay with nylon-6 at 240 °C. It was found that when such a clay surface was exposed to the nylon-6 during blending, most of the OM on that surface decomposed, releasing a free amine with one methyl and two tallow substituents. However, subsequent melting at 240 °C produced no further decomposition. The implication is that the combination of temperature and shear stress in blending causes decomposition, not just temperature alone. The susceptibility to chemical decomposition varied strongly with the OM. Ironically, extensive decomposition of the OM did not result in poor mixing; in fact, as judged by T1 H, the NnC with the best dispersion of clay also had the most extensively degraded OM. The implications of this degradation for the physical properties have not been explored in detail. Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:51:53 Vanderhart, D. L. og Asano, A. og Gilman, J. W. http://matdl.org/repository/view/matdl:511 Several exfoliated nylon-6/clay nanocomposites (NnC’s) were investigated and compared with pure nylon-6 using solid-state NMR, both proton and 13C. NnC’s had nominally 5 mass % clay and were generated both by blending and by in situ polymerization (IsP). Most of the studied NnC’s contained layered, naturally occurring montmorillonite clays having nonstoichiometric amounts of nonexchangeable Mg2+ and Fe3+ ions that substitute into octahedral Al3+ sites along the midplane of the 1-nm-thick clay layers. The Fe3+ ions impart a useful paramagnetism to the clay. Each Mg2+ ion leaves an embedded negative charge that must be neutralized with some cation at the surface of the clay. All clays were initially treated with a cationic so-called organic modifier (OM), often a substituted ammonium ion, which increases the clay layer spacing, attaching ionically to the surface of the clay layers. Clay is found to promote growth of the ç-crystalline phase of nylon-6 for both blended and IsP NnC’s; R-crystallites are characteristic of the pure nylon-6. Stability of the ç-phase to annealing at 214 °C was investigated. Conversion of ç- to R-crystallinity during annealing was minimal, except for an injection-molded IsP NnC, which had been exposed to a temperature of 295 °C during molding. This high processing temperature produced an irreversible change. An attempt was made to understand, at least qualitatively, the nature of the spectral density of magnetic fluctuations associated with the paramagnetic Fe3+ sites in the clay. For this purpose, we looked directly at the influence of Fe3+ on the 13C and proton observables in organically modified clays (OMC). We agree with other investigators that the spectral density of paramagnetic fluctuations at the surface of the clay is determined mainly by spin-exchange interactions between Fe3+ sites; thus, the spectral density can be altered by changing the Fe3+ concentration. Moreover, we find that the spectral density is very wide, having strong contributions all the way from mid-kHz fluctuations to MHz fluctuations near the proton Larmor frequencies. Significant variations in the R/ç ratio were also observed in the injection-molded disk, which reflect either a processing-induced heterogeneity in clay dispersion or a significant variation in cooling history from region to region. Proton spin diffusion and multiple-pulse methods were utilized to compare morphologies for a diamagnetic NnC and nylon-6 with the same thermal histories. Long spacing, crystallinity, and the mobility of the noncrystalline nylon-6 segments are very similar for NnC’s and nylon-6. Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:51:53 Vanderhart, D. L. og Asano, A. og Gilman, J. W.