Preparation and Characterization of Maltose-Pendant Polymer/Mica Nanocomposites and Their Application to Oxygen Gas Barrier Films

Abstract

Maltose-pendant polymer/mica nanocomposites were prepared by a solution intercalation method. For organic composite part, 1) maltose-pendant polymer (homopolymer) and 2) the copolymer of maltose-pendant monomer and a small amount of N,N -Dimethylamino propylacrylamide, methyl chloride quartenary were used. The morphological studies (XRD and FE-SEM) revealed that the hybrid of maltose-pendant polymer was a conventional phase separated composite. On the other hand, the hybrid using the copolymer exhibited exfoliated structure. Both the conventional composite of maltose-pendant polymer and the nanocomposite of copolymer were applied to a coating material for oxygen gas barrier layer on a nylon-6 film, and oxygen transmission rates of the films were evaluated. Maltose-pendant polymer had a good oxygen barrier property under dry condition, and the barrier property under wet condition was improved by the hybridization with mica. In contrast, the barrier property of copolymer was slightly inferior to that of maltosependant polymer. However, under dry condition, it can be seen that the nanocomposite of copolymer improves the barrier property more effectively than the case of conventional composite of maltose-pendant polymer.