Thermophysical and viscoelastic properties of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran-containing, polymer-layered, clay-reinforced nanoarchitectures

Abstract This study focuses on the synthesis of poly(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran- alt -maleic anhydride) and poly(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran- co -maleic anhydride- co -vinyl acetate) and their nanocomposites modified with organoammonium salts. The goal was to investigate the structural, dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of the polymers and nanocomposites, with a particular focus on the role of organoclay modification. In this study, bentonite was modified using alkyl ammonium salts with varying chain lengths (C14, C16 and C18). Ion-exchange processes led to the transformation of the character of bentonite from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, facilitating the formation of hybrid structures. Dynamic mechanical analysis, differential thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the viscoelastic and thermal properties of the polymers and their nanocomposites. The results showed that the incorporation of organoclay structures, particularly those modified with C18 alkyl groups, significantly improved the viscoelastic properties, with the greatest storage modulus being observed in the nanocomposites. The thermal analysis revealed that the nanocomposites exhibited a distinct three-step degradation process, unlike the copolymer, which underwent two-step degradation. Despite this difference, no significant improvement in thermal stability was observed in the nanocomposites compared to the copolymers. The study concludes that the incorporation of long-chain alkyl ammonium salts into bentonite and their use in copolymerization significantly impact the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. The modification of bentonite with C18 alkyl groups led to the most stable and dynamic mechanically robust nanocomposites, providing valuable insights into the role of organoclay modification in improving the performance of polymer-based nanocomposites.