Functionalized polyvinyl chloride/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites and its thermal and mechanical properties

ABSTRACT In this work, to inquire the impact of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoclay on functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) through solution intercalation method, four kinds of nanocomposites were prepared. Mg‐AL LDH and the obtained functionalize PVC composites were characterized through FT‐IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, contact angle, DSC, and UTM. Obtained results revealed that the functionalized PVC uniformly dispersed in the layer of LDH nanoclay. It is revealed that partially intercalated and disordered structure formed in PVC/LDH, PVC‐TS (thiosulfate)/LDH, and PVC‐S (sulfate)/LDH nanocomposites, whereas fully exfoliated structures formed in the PVC‐TU (thiourea)/LDH nanocomposites. Further, it has been observed that the ultimate tensile strength for all the polymer nanocomposites enhanced with increased in the LDH content. These nanocomposites further exhibited higher thermal stability by at least by 51°C higher than the pristine PVC. Along with these, further it has been found that the functionalized PVC/LDH nanocomposites are proved to be effective as thermal stabilizer for PVC processing. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48894.