The effect of clay modification on the structure, dielectric behaviour and mechanical properties of PVDF/PMMA/CTAMag polymer nanocomposites as potential flexible performance materials

Abstract In this approach, nanocomposites of PVDF/PMMA/CTAMag films have been successfully synthesized. Modified Maghnite was used as inorganic reinforcement. In this study, nanocomposite polymers were developed based on a mixed matrix of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) of composition (80/20 w/w) in dispersion containing 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt % fillers of organomodified montmorillonite nanoclay (CTAMag) in the melt state. The results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD traces and FTIR spectra highlighted the homogeneous flexible character of the PVDF/PMMA/CTAMag films and their intercalated and intercalated/exfoliated surface morphology, in addition to the presence of PVDF α , β and γ phase crystallites in these complex films. The increased presence of the modified clay in the host matrix of the PVDF/PMMA blend significantly influenced the melting temperature and the degree of crystallinity of the PVDF crystallites. The scattering of the dielectric spectra, which covers a wide range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 1 GHz, indicates the presence of the phenomenon of interfacial polarization associated with the dielectric capacitance complex at lower frequencies in these composites at 27 °C. The mechanical properties of these composites were evaluated as a function of the load and the mixed matrix of these composites.