Exfoliation aids for preparation of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites

The use of supercritical CO2 and two cosolvents, water and ethanol, were examined for their capability to aid the exfoliation of an organoclay within a thermoplastic polyolefin matrix. The study examined the manner in which the gas environment was used in the presence of the clay, compatibilizer and matrix. This was done through the use of a custom-built extensional flow mixer. The results of the work showed that supercritical CO2 was most …