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CLAY/POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES FOR PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVES

2004 Dahlquist Award Winner

Liza Lofton, senior research chemist, Rohm and Haas Company

Composites of polymer and nanoclay can be synthesized, where the tremendous surface area of the clay can significantly influence polymer properties at much lower weight loadings than with traditional fillers. In recent years there has been much work with engineering plastics systems that amply demonstrate polymer property changes induced by modification with nanoclay. Comparatively little effort, however, has been focused on nanocomposites with film forming polymers. I will describe some of our work in synthesizing clay/polymer nanocomposites for pressure sensitive adhesive applications. Preliminary work suggests that these clay nanocomposites may improve the balance of PSA properties, and maybe applicable to many pressure sensitive applications. In our systems we have good evidence of polymer - nanoclay interaction in wet dispersion samples as well as in clear films.