Structural, thermal and morphological properties of a novel poly(acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid)/organoclay nanocomposite

A novel poly(acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid)/organoclay nanocomposite was prepared and its structural, thermal, and morphological properties were investigated by various techniques. The absence of diffraction peaks for the organomodified-smectite nanocomposite showed that dispersion of the clay nanolayers within the polymer matrix was in the form of an exfoliated nanostructure. Morphological studies confirmed that organomodified-clay dispersed homogeneously in the polymer matrix. Infrared spectroscopy results indicated that the organosmectite is physically dispersed in the polymer network without forming any chemical bonds. The thermal analysis data revealed that there are significant increases in temperatures of decomposition and softening points of polymer with addition of organoclay.