Network Formation in PP/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites: Modeling and Analysis of Rheological Properties

PP/organophilic montmorillonite composites were prepared from PP homopolymer, maleinated polypropylene and a clay organophilized with octadecyl amine. Various approaches were used to analyze the rheological properties of the composites. Cole‐Cole plots proved to be useful, since they detect the network very sensitively. The frequency dependence of the real part of complex viscosity was described with a series of Maxwel bodies coupled parallel to each other. The relaxation time of the melt changed in the range of 0.0005 and 200 sec. Under certain conditions long relaxation times appear in the spectrum, which indicate the formation of new structural units, probably a silicate network. A certain number of silicate layers are needed to create a house‐of‐cards structure. A threshold concentration of MAPP exists for network formation, which depends on silicate content.