Phosphorylated Epoxy Nanocomposites:Study of Structure and Mechanical Properties

This paper presents the effect of nanoclay content on structure and mechanical properties of phosphorylated epoxy containing 9,10-Dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) as flame retardant. The nanoclay up to 4 wt% was blended with phosphorylated epoxy containing 2.5wt% phosphorus content and molded out after curing. The internal structure of prepared samples was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) methods. The surface morphology was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The mechanical properties were measured using Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The results of XRD and TEM reveal mixed type of structure (intercalated and exfoliated) of samples. The mechanical properties (tensile and flexural strength) are found maximum for phosphorylated epoxy sample containing 2.0 wt% nanoclay.