UHMWPE-layered silicate nanocomposites by in situ polymerization with tris(pyrazolyl)borate titanium/clay catalyst

polyethylene-mmt nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization methodology using tpms*ticl3 (1) intercalated into the gallery of cloisite？ 30b (c30b) using methylaluminoxane (mao) as activator. from the powder x-ray diffraction (xrd) analysis it was observed that the basal spacing of the activated organoclay changes from 1.85 nm (2θ = 4.8) to 2.18 nm (2θ = 4.0) indicating that the intercalation of the titanium catalyst into the gallery took place. the catalytic system 1/c30b/mao was active in the ethylene polymerization under different reaction conditions. the exfoliated morphology of the pe-mmt nanocomposite was further examined and confirmed by x-ray diffraction (xrd) and transmission electron microscopy (tem) analysis. the presence of exfoliated clay (5 wt.%) in the pe matrix confers better mechanical properties (flexural modulus and storage modulus) when compared with the ones displayed by the neat pe produced using exclusively 1.