Preparation and characterization of wood/montmorillonite nanocomposites

With montmorillonite (MMT) organically modified as organophilic MMT (OMMT) and water-soluble phenol formaldehyde resin (PF) as intermediate, Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) wood/MMT nanocomposites (WMNC) were prepared via nano intercalation compounding and characterized by XRD, SEM and FTIR. Results show that: 1) the preparation of OMMT is very successful; 2) the self-made PF can effectively intercalate into MMT to increase markably its gallery distance and even exfoliate its nano silicate laminae; 3) the XRD analysis indicates that some exfoliated MMT enters the non-crystallized region of microfibrils in wood cell walls and the crystallinity degree of wood in WMNC decreases; 4) the SEM graphs show that multiform MMT exists in WMNC. Some grains block in wood cell lumen, some layers adhere to the wood surface of the inner cell wall and some exfoliated nanolaminae even insert into wood cell walls; and 5) the FTIR analysis suggests that MMT and wood in WMNC perhaps interact via certain chemical bonding.