Poly(ethylene oxide)/clay nanaocomposites: Thermal and mechanical properties

Highlights: • PEO/clay nanocomposites were prepared via solution intercalation. Complete exfoliation occurs in samples of 0.5 and 2.0 CEC. • The impaired helical structure of PEO in nanocomposite structures had been verified based on the results of FTIR studies. • The crystallization temperature of PEO/OMMT nanocomposites is low compared to raw polymer. • The increase of melting temperatures indicates the increase of the stability of PEO in case of availability of clay. • The tensile strength, yield strength, % stretching of nanocomposite samples increase compared to raw polymer at all CEC rates. - Abstract: Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/clay nanocomposites were prepared by a solution intercalation method using chloroform as a solvent. The nanocomposites were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and also investigation of some mechanical properties of the composites. Formation of nanocomposite was confirmed by XRD analysis. The increasing tendency of exfoliation degree with an increase in clay content may be attributed to easier diffusion of PEO chains to interlayer regions. An increase in PEO crystallinity in case of nanocomposite, was confirmed by an increase in the heat of melting as indicated by DSC. Improvement in tensile properties in all respect was observed for nanocomposites with clay content.