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Additional Evidence For The Migration Of Clay Upon Heating Of Clay–Polypropylene Nanocomposites From X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Xps), Jianwei Hao, Menachem Lewin, Charles A. Wilkie, Jiangqi Wang

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The explanation for reduction in the peak heat release rate of polymer–clay nanocomposites which is normally accepted is that clay accumulates at the surface, forming a thermal shield which is also a barrier to mass transport. The process by which this clay arrives at the surface has never been described in print but the common assumption is that pyrolysis is required for clay accumulation to occur. In this work, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a tool much more sensitive in surface analysis than conventional techniques, is used to probe the surface of polypropylene–clay nanocomposites that have been annealed at relatively low temperatures, …