Matthew Brian Measmer

Dispersion of Layered Organosilicates in Isobutylene-Based Elastomers

Abstract Dispersion morphologies of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites based on either brominated poly(isobutylene-co-para-methylstyrene), BIMSM, or brominated poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene), BIIR, and an organosilicate, dimethylditallow ammonium-exchanged montmorillonite, Cloisite™ 6A, with and without N660 carbon black fillers were examined using SAXS, WAXS, AFM, and TEM. These compounds were prepared using an internal mixer and cured for property measurements. Due to the observed partial orientation of organosilicates and their possible heterogeneous intercalation, degrees of exfoliation and dispersion of organosilicates in BIMSM and BIIR were unable to be characterized and quantified simply by TEM, AFM, or SAXS alone. Instead, using the projected aspect ratio of organosilicates in BIMSM or BIIR, extracted from Gusev-Lusti equation based on measured permeability ratios, was found to provide a relative measure of their dispersion state. Since better dispersion, higher planar orientation, and/or incr...