Fabrication of Polystyrene/Clay

nanocomposites
by

Vivek Patil Nitin Purohit

(708042) (708044)

Under guidance of
Dr. R.K.Goyal
 Objective

To fabricate polystyrene matrix composite by changing

the weight percent of the nano sized clay particles for
packaging and timing belt applications

 To study effect of wt. % of clay on various properties

of PS/ Clay nanocomposite
 Introduction

Composite
1. Definition
2. Nano composites
Polystyrene
1. Structure
2. Properties
Clay
1. Types
2. Properties
 Properties of polystyrene

 Colorless substance

 Thermoplastic polymer

 Glass transition temp. – 85 to 125 ºC

 Melting point – 240 ºC

 Used in automobiles, consumer electronics, packaging.

 Nano Clay particles

 Inorganic material
 Types
1. Fireclay
2. Bentonite
3. Limonite
4. Kalonite
 Montmorillonite (MMT)
1. Sodium and Calcium MMT
2. High aspect ratio
 Properties of Polystyrene and Clay

Sr.
Properties Polystyrene Clay
No.

1 Density 1.05 g/cc 1.70 g/cc

2 Tensile strength 46–60 MPa 101 MPa

Coefficient of Thermal
3 8× 10−5 /K 1.72×10-8/K
Expansion

4 Dielectric constant 2.4- 2.7 1.8- 2.8

 Experimental process

Clay/ Chloroform + Sonication Polystyrene

PS/ CLAY were mixed in chloroform using Magnetic stirrer with heating for 4 hrs .

Drying in oven at 65oC for 2 hrs.

Hot pressing at 200oC / 300 kg

Composite pellet of 5 mm thickness and 13 mm diameter

Characterization
 Hot pressing of composite film

t= 5 mm
Pellet Dimensions
d= 13 mm

Temperature 200°C

Load 300 kg

Soaking Time 15 min.

Line diagram of hot compression

 3 Samples with 0wt.%, 2wt.% and 5wt.% of Clay in PS were prepared

 Density measurement

 Volume fraction :
Vf = Wf / [Wf + (1-Wf).ρf / ρm ]

 Theoretical density by Rule of Mixture :

ρTh = (ρm Vm + ρf Vf)

 Experimental density by Archimedes method :

ρExp = [Wair / (Wair -Walcohol)]. ρalcohol
 Density Vs Wt. % of Clay

Wt. % of Clay Experimental density Theoretical density

0 1.0042 1.05
2 1.0195 1.058
5 1.0265 1.071
 Micro hardness measurement

 Microhardness - resistance to indentation

 Using Vickers Microhardness tester (FM 700 Future
Tech.)
 Load - 100 gm
 Dwell time - 15 sec
 Vickers hardness(Hv) :
Hv = (1.8544×P)/ d2
Microhardness Vs Wt. % of Clay

Average
Sample
Reading (Hv)

Pure PS 16.35

2%
16.50
Clay/PS

5%
16.85
Clay/PS
 Dielectric Constant measurement

 Dielectric constant – measure of degree of slow down of

electromagnetic waves travelling through insulating material

 Using Precision Impedance Analyzer

(Wayne Kerr 6500 B), Capacitance is measured

 Dielectric constant :
Ԑ = (c×t)/( Ԑ0×A)
Dielectric Constant Vs Wt. % of Clay(10 MHz)
 Results

 Nanocomposites of PS/ Clay of various compositions can be

prepared by using hot pressing with proper loading.
 The mass of sample depends on the weight percentage of filler.
 Density of nanocomposite increases as clay content increases
 Microhardness of nanocomposite increases as Wt. % of clay in
PS increases
 Dielectric constant of nanocomposite increases as clay content
increases
 Future Scope

 
 Study on effect of change in wt.% of clay in PS/Clay
nanocomposite on
a) Melt flow index
b) Coefficient of thermal expansion

 To study the dispersion of Clay in nanocomposites by

XRD.
 Acknowledgements

 We are immensely thankful to HOD, Dr. M. J. Rathod for

allowing us to carry the project out. Our sincere thanks to our
guide Dr. R. K. Goyal who helped us in every way while doing
the project work. All other professors and non-teaching staff of
the department were also very helpful to us throughout the
project. All the B.Tech students and Mr. Amol Kadam from
M.Tech working in the same area helped us too.
 References

 1.R.K. Goyal , A.N. Tiwari , Y.S. Negi

Microhardness of PEEK/ceramic micro- and nanocomposites:
Correlation with Halpin–Tsai model 

 2.Tsung et al.
Preparation of exfoliated PS/Clay nanocomposites, advances materials
17 (2005) 1769-1773.

 3. Yuaci Hu et al.”Nanoindentation study of Nylon 11/Clay

composites”, Polymer Testing 25 (2006) 492-497.

 4.Santosh D. and I.P.Jog,”Polybutene/clay nanocomposites and its

properties” Polymer science 41 (2003) 1021-1041.
Thank You.