Influence of Preparation Conditions on Structure and Properties of Composites Based on Polyethylene Oxide and Clay Nanoparticles

The structure, thermophysical and electrical properties of polymer composite systems based on polyethylene glycol and clay nanoparticles were studied using the methods of X-ray structural analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and impedance spectroscopy. From the analysis of X-ray scattering data, it was found that the optimal degree of delamination of montmorillonite, which corresponds to the maximum interlayer distance, occurs in 3–5 minutes. A further increase in the mixing time has no significant effect on the structural characteristics of the composite. On the basis of calorimetric and impedancemetric studies, it is shown that the melting and glass transition temperatures, as well as the crystallinity and electrical conductivity, reach critical values at 3 min of treatment, after which they remain unchanged. It was established that the time of extruder mixing is optimal. At the same time, the maximum intercalation takes place, which leads to an impact on the final functional characteristics of the polymer-nanoclay system.