Effect of Length of Ester Alkyl Side Chain on Preparation of Acrylic Polymer/Montmorillonite and Their Latex Blends with Natural Rubber

Three acrylic polymer-montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ emulsion polymerization and then blended with natural rubber (NR) latex.The structure and morphologies of these nanocomposites were investigated by Flourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffractograms and transmission electron microscope,respectively.Compared to those modified by NR/acrylic polymer,NR/acrylic polymer-MMT films possess the improved tensile and tear strength,deformation and deformation recovery properties as well as lower hardness.Moreover,for the nanocomposites with longest ester side chain the modified films showed the best mechanical properties.Attenuated total reflection Flourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the increase in the length of ester alkyl side benefited the dispersion of MMT among natural rubber phase and improved the compatibility between NR matrix and acrylic polymer-MMT phase.Results of thermogravimetric analyses showed that the heat resistance temperature of NR/acrylic polymer-MMT films was gradually increasing upon increasing the length of ester side chain.