Synthesis of polyacrylamide-montmorillonite clay nanocomposite using non-conventional electrochemical technique

Synthesis of polymer-clay nanocomposite by in-situ incorporation of polyacrylamide in organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay layers is being reported using non-conventional electrochemical technique "plasma electrolysis." A luminous sheath of plasma is sustained between an electrode (anode) and the surface of surrounding liquid electrolyte at sufficiently high voltage, for synthesis of polymer or nanocomposite. Using this technique, radical generation capability is explored as a new tool for radical polymerization and in-situ composite formation of polyacrylamide. Polyacrylamide-MMT clay nanocomposite is synthesized by taking acrylamide and MMT clay in K2SO4 electrolyte solution at the anodic potential of 660 V. Polyacrylamide and polyacrylamide-MMT clay nanocomposites are characterized for their structural and thermal properties. Intercalation in MMT clay layers of homogeneous nanocomposite is supported by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, DSC, TGA and SEM/TEM techniques. This novel method produces homogeneous interactive composite with high yield, and shows potential to replace chemical initiators based harsh synthetic processes used for conventional polymer-nanocomposites formation.