Search results for "Clay"
showing 10 items of 349 documents
Enhancing the mechanical performance of polymer based nanocomposites by plasma-modification of nanoparticles
2012
Abstract The possibility of enhancing the mechanical performance of two different polymer-based nanocomposites using polyamide 6 (PA6) and poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] (EVA) as matrices was investigated. The nanofillers used were, respectively, either carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or an organically modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 15A), both previously modified by plasma treatment to introduce polar moieties. The nanofillers were fully characterized by Raman spectroscopy, XPS, FT-IR and XRD, demonstrating their effective modification with oxygenated groups. The nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing in order to obtain films and fibres. The mechanical tests carried out on the nanoc…
Organoclay Nanocomposites from Ethylene-Acrylic Acid Copolymers
2006
A study of the structure–property relationships for nanocomposites prepared by melt compounding from ethylene–acrylic acid copolymers of varied composition and molecular architecture, and organoclays modified with different ammonium ions has been made by DSC, POM, SEM, TEM, WAXD, and rheological and mechanical tests. Within the series of clays investigated, the best levels of dispersion were displayed by those organically modified with quaternary ammonium ions containing two long alkyl tails. The relevant nanocomposites were shown to possess mixed exfoliated and intercalated morphology. The spacing of the intercalated clay stacks, most of which comprise few silicate layers, was found to be …
Thermo-Mechanical Degradation of LDPE-Based Nanocomposites
2007
Thermo-mechanical degradation of LDPE-based nanocomposites was studied by mainly investigating the rheological properties. For all of the investigated processing conditions, the viscosity of the nanocomposites was higher than that of the pure-LDPE matrix, but on increasing the severity of the mixing conditions, the difference between the viscosity of the nano-filled polymer and that of the pure LDPE decreased. The X-ray traces of the nanocomposites suggest that intercalation has been achieved during the melt, when less-severe processing conditions were used. At severe processing conditions (longer mixing time, high temperature and shear stress) the thermo-mechanical degradation was accelera…
Selective localization of organoclay and effects on the morphology and mechanical properties of LDPE/PA11 blends with distributed and co-continuous m…
2010
A study was made on the effect of small amounts of organically modified clay on the morphology and mechanical properties of blends of low-density polyethylene and polyamide 11 at different compositions. The influence of the filler on the blend morphology was investigated using wide angle X-ray diffractometry, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and selective extraction experiments. The filler was found to locate predominantly in the more hydrophilic polyamide phase. Although such uneven distribution does not have a significant effect on the onset of phase co-continuity of the polymer components, it brings about a drastic refinement of the microstructure for the blends both with dr…
Chemical evolution of ore-forming brines – Basement leaching, metal provenance, and the redox link between barren and ore-bearing hydrothermal veins.…
2019
Abstract Six mineralogically exemplary barren and mineralized hydrothermal veins (with Pb and Zn ores) of Jurassic-Cretaceous and Cenozoic age in the Schwarzwald mining district, SW Germany were chosen to shed light on the origin of their mineralogical diversity. The selection of the veins was guided by the fact that they represent the largest number of veins in the region, are very well known mineralogically and geochemically, and they provide nice examples of barren and mineralized veins of similar age. Fluid inclusion data from the individual veins overlap implying their diverse mineralogy is not caused by different fluid compositions participating during fluid mixing. LA-ICPMS data of s…
Effects of organoclay on morphology and properties of nanocomposites based on LDPE/PA-6 blends without and with SEBS-g-MA compatibilizer
2009
LDPE/PA-6 blends (75/25 wt/wt) were added with SEBS-g-MA (S) and/or an organoclay (20A) using different compounding sequences and the morphology and the properties of the blends or composites were investigated. An XRD study of the nanocomposites with pure polymers showed that 20A is intercalated by LDPE or PA-6 chains, whereas it is exfoliated by S if the clay concentration does not exceed 10 wt%. The SEM investigation showed that both S and 20A behave as efficient emulsifying agents for the LDPE/PA-6 blends. However, their effect on the mechanical properties was found to be opposite: S enhanced toughness but lowered the stiffness, whereas 20A improved the elastic modulus but impaired the i…
The influence of weathering processes on labile and stable organic matter in Mediterranean volcanic soils
2008
The relationship and mechanisms among weathering processes, cation fluxes, clay mineralogy, organic matter composition and stability were studied in soils developing on basaltic material in southern Italy (Sicily). The soils were transitions between Phaeozems and Vertisols. Intense losses of the elements Na, Ca and Mg were measured indicating that weathering has occurred over a long period of time. The main weathering processes followed the sequence: amphibole, mica, volcanic glass or if ash was the primary source→smectite→interstratified smectite–kaolinite→kaolinite. Kaolinite formation was strongly related to high Al, Mg and Na losses. The good correlation between oxyhydroxides and kaolin…
The Effect of Montmorillonite Type Nanoparticles on Stiffness and Flammability of Rapeseed Oil Based Polyisocyanurate Foams
2013
Polyisocyanurate foams incorporating polyols derived from rapeseed oil are developed, with the polyol system comprising up to 80% of rapeseed oil esters. To enhance the mechanical characteristics and fire resistance of the foams, they are filled with three different types of organically modified clay (organoclay) in the range of loading from 1 to 5% by weight. Marked increase in tensile stiffness of nanocomposite foams is observed.
Linking clay enrichment and sediment delivery processes
2002
Recent research has directed attention to the size distribution of eroded material because of its influence on deposition mechanics and in carrying capacity of pollutant materials. At first, in this paper the relationship between aggregate breakdown mechanism and erosion processes is briefly reviewed. Then the link between the clay enrichment ratio and the sediment delivery ratio at morphological unit scale is investigated. For 129 soil samples well distributed over the Sicilian Sparacia basin, the values for the experimental clay enrichment ratio calculated by the measured ultimate grain-size distributions are compared with the theoretical clay enrichment ratio values obtained by a procedu…
Hafnium-neodymium isotope evidence for enhanced weathering and tectonic-climate interactions during the Late Cretaceous
2022
<p>Over million-year timescale the carbon cycle evolution is driven by mantle CO<sub>2</sub> degassing (source) and by continental weathering that drawdowns atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> through silicate weathering reactions (sink). Based on a novel geochemical proxy of chemical weathering intensity (i.e. using measurements of Hf and Nd isotope ratios in clay-size fractions of sediments) and clay mineralogy, we discuss the links between tectonic, continental weathering and climate evolution during the late Cretaceous. That period records the very first step of the last greenhouse to icehouse transition and is concomitant to …