Rheological properties of polypropylene/ attapulgite nanocomposite

The rheological properties of nanocomposites consisting of organic modified attapulgite and polypropylene are investigated. The morphology of the nanocomposites was studied with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Linear dynamic viscoelasticity and steady state flow step of the nanocomposites are presented. For the nanocomposites, the deviation from linear behavior occurs earlier than pure polypropylene at the strain. The storage moduli, loss moduli and dynamic viscosities of the nanocomposites increase monotonically with organoclay concentration. However, the nanocomposites show greater shear thinning tendency than pure polypropylene because of the orientation of the organoclay fibers. Therefore, the nanocomposites have higher moduli but better processibility compared with pure polypropylene.