Effect of organoclay structure on nylon 6 nanocomposite morphology and properties

A carefully selected series of organic amine salts were ion exchanged with sodium montmorillonite to form organoclays varying in amine structure or exchange level relative to the clay. Each organoclay was melt-mixed with a high molecular grade of nylon 6 (HMW) using a twin screw extruder; some organoclays were also mixed with a low molecular grade of nylon 6 (LMW). Wide angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and stress-strain behavior were used to evaluate the effect of amine structure on nanocomposite morphology and physical properties. Three surfactant structural issues were found to significantly affect nanocomposite morphology and properties in the case of the HMW nylon 6: decreasing the number of long alkyl tails from two to one tallows, use of methyl rather than hydroxy-ethyl groups, and use of an equivalent amount of surfactant with the montmorillonite, as opposed to adding excess, lead to greater extents of silicate platelet exfoliation, increased moduli, higher yield strengths, and lower elongation at break. LMW nanocomposites exhibited similar surfactant structure-nanocomposite behavior. Overall, nanocomposites based on HMW nylon 6 exhibited higher extents of platelet exfoliation and better mechanical properties than nanocomposites formed from the LMW polyamide, regardless of the organoclay used. This trend is attributed to the higher melt viscosity and consequently the higher shear stresses generated during melt processing.     

Polymer matrix degradation and color formation in melt processed nylon 6/clay nanocomposites

Nylon 6 nanocomposites based on various quaternary alkyl ammonium organoclays were prepared by melt processing using a twin screw extruder. Dilute solution viscosity techniques were used to evaluate the level of polymer molecular weight degradation experienced during nanocomposite compounding; whereas colorimeter techniques were used to document color formation. In general, a significant reduction in nylon 6 matrix molecular weight was observed, which is believed to stem, in part, from reaction(s) between the surfactant of the organoclay and the polyamide chains. The level of degradation depends on both the type of nylon 6 material used and the surfactant chemistry in the organoclay. For a given organoclay, nanocomposites based on high molecular weight nylon 6 materials experience more matrix degradation, as well as color formation, than those based on low molecular weight materials; this is believed to arise from increased exposure of the organoclay surface to the nylon 6 owing to increased platelet exfoliation. Different organoclays lead to different levels of polymer degradation and color formation, depending upon the level of unsaturation present in the organic surfactant; the higher the number of double bonds the greater the degradation and the deeper the color formation. The primary mechanism of degradation is believed to be thermo-oxidative. Melt mixing of nylon 6 with model compounds, long-chain alkenes, shows that the same mode of degradation i.e. via double bonds can be replicated. In addition to unsaturation effects, the presence of hydroxyl-ethyl groups, opposed to methyl groups, in the organoclay surfactant, results in more color. Isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted on the organoclays to determine if thermal stability was a cause of molecular weight degradation; although, this relationship does not seem to exist, a direction correlation is observed between the organoclay degradation and nanocomposite modulus, or indirectly level of exfoliation. Use of antioxidant was found to reduce the amount of molecular weight loss. All evidence suggests that morphology and physical properties of nanocomposites formed from nylon 6 are not measurably affected by the reactions that lead to molecular weight degradation or color formation.     

Organoclay degradation in melt processed polyethylene nanocomposites

Melt processed nanocomposites were formed from low-density polyethylene, LDPE, and organoclays over a wide range of processing temperatures. These composites show limited exfoliation, and hence, their X-ray analysis reveals a distinct peak corresponding to the interplatelet distances in the unexfoliated clay galleries. The degradation of the quaternary ammonium surfactant of the organoclay in these systems was characterized by examining the change in the position of these peaks as a function of the melt processing temperature. Upon degradation, the mass of the surfactant within the clay galleries decreases, which causes the platelets to collapse and shifts the WAXS peak to lower d-spacings. The results of the WAXS analysis suggest that a significant portion of the surfactant is lost from the organoclays when the melt processing temperature is increased from 180 to 200 °C or higher. The extent of surfactant degradation in these composites was determined to be independent of the organoclay content. Organoclay degradation appears to limit the extent of exfoliation or dispersion in LDPE as revealed by stress-strain analyses of nanocomposites processed at different temperatures. The amount of surfactant lost during thermogravimetric analysis of various organoclays indicates that surfactants with multiple alkyl tails have greater thermal stability than those with a single alkyl tail. A comparison of the mass of surfactant lost during melt processing of nanocomposites and during thermogravimetric analysis of organoclays (in the absence of polymer) indicated that at a given time, a larger surfactant loss from the clay galleries occurs during extrusion than during the TGA experiment. This is attributed to the greater ease with which the degradation products (predominantly α-olefins) are solubilized in polyethylene for the composites as opposed to evaporated from the organoclay during TGA.     

Morphology and properties of thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites: Effect of organoclay structure

A series of alkyl ammonium/MMT organoclays were carefully selected to explore structure-property relationships for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites prepared by melt processing. Each organoclay was melt-blended with a medium-hardness, ester-based TPU, while a more limited number of organoclays was blended with a high-hardness, ether-based TPU. Wide-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, particle analysis, and stress-strain behavior were used to examine the effects of organoclay structure and TPU chemical structure on morphology and mechanical properties. Specifically, the following were observed: (a) one long alkyl tail on the ammonium ion rather than two, (b) hydroxy ethyl groups on the amine rather than methyl groups, and (c) a longer alkyl tail as opposed to a shorter one leads to higher clay dispersion and stiffness for medium-hardness TPU nanocomposites. Overall, the organoclay containing hydroxy ethyl functional groups produces the best dispersion of organoclay particles and the highest matrix reinforcement, while the one containing two alkyl tails produces the poorest. The two TPU's exhibit similar trends with regard to the effect of organoclay structure. The high-hardness TPU nanocomposites showed a slightly higher number of particles and clay dispersion. The organoclay structure trends are analogous to what has been observed for nylon 6-based nanocomposites; this suggests that polar polymers like polyamides, and apparently polyurethanes, have a relatively good affinity for the polar clay surface; and in the case of polyurethanes, the high affinity of the matrix for the hydroxy ethyl functional groups in the organoclay aids clay dispersion and exfoliation.     

Effect of organoclay structure on morphology and properties of nanocomposites based on an amorphous polyamide

An amorphous polyamide (a-PA) and three organoclays, M₃(HT)₁, M₂(HT)₂ and (HE)₂M₁T₁, were melt processed to explore the effect of the organoclay structure on the extent of exfoliation and properties of these nanocomposites. Wide angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and stress-strain behavior were used to determine the degree of exfoliation of the nanocomposites. For quantitative assessment of the structure of the nanocomposites, a detailed particle analysis was made to provide various averages of the clay dimensions and aspect ratio. The results evaluated from different methods were generally consistent with each other. Nanocomposites based on the organoclays with one alkyl tail and hydroxyl ethyl groups gave well-exfoliated structures and high matrix reinforcement while nanocomposites from two-tailed organoclay contain a considerable concentration of intercalated stacks. Nanocomposites from the organoclays with one alkyl tail showed slightly better exfoliation and matrix reinforcement than those from the organoclays with hydroxyl ethyl groups. The organoclay structure trends for a-PA are analogous to what has been observed for nylon 6; this suggests that a-PA, like nylon 6, has good affinity for the pristine silicate surface of the clay leading to better exfoliation and enhanced mechanical properties with one-tailed organoclay than multiple-tailed organoclay. Furthermore, heat distortion temperatures were predicted from the dynamic mechanical properties of nanocomposites.     

Nanocomposites formed from linear low density polyethylene and organoclays

Polyethylene-clay nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding various combinations of a maleic anhydride grafted linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE-g-MA), a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and two organoclays. The two types of organoclay were selected to show the effect of the number of alkyl groups attached to the nitrogen of the organic modifier on exfoliation and improvement of mechanical properties. Nanocomposites derived from the organoclay having two alkyl tails, M₂(HT)₂, exhibited better dispersion and improvement of mechanical properties than nanocomposites based on the organoclay having one alkyl tail M₃(HT)₁. This result is the opposite of what is observed for nylon-6 nanocomposites. In addition, the rheological properties and gas permeability of the nanocomposites derived from the organoclay having two alkyl tails, M₂(HT)₂ were investigated. Both melt viscosity and melt tension (melt strength) increased with increased content of clay (MMT) and LLDPE-g-MA. Gas permeability was decreased by the addition of MMT.     

Morphology and properties of nanocomposites formed from ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and organoclays

A series of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, EVA, containing 0-40% VA and three organoclays, M₂(HT)₂, M₃(HT)₁ and (HE)₂M₁T_1, were melt processed to explore the relationship between the polarity of the polymer matrix and the organoclay structure on the extent of exfoliation and properties of the resulting nanocomposites. The degree of exfoliation of the nanocomposites was evaluated by TEM, WAXS, and mechanical testing. Quantitative particle analyses of TEM images were made to give various averages of the clay dimensions and aspect ratio. The results from different techniques were generally consistent with each other. These EVA copolymer nanocomposites show dramatically improved exfoliation of the organoclay as the VA content is increased. Nanocomposites based on the organoclay with two alkyl tails always gave better exfoliation than those based on the organoclays with a single tail at all VA levels; however, the relative advantage of the two tails versus one tail seems to diminish with increased VA level. The predictions of tensile modulus using a simple composite model based on Halpin-Tsai equations show rather good agreement with the experimental data.     

Effect of sodium montmorillonite source on nylon 6/clay nanocomposites

The effect of sodium montmorillonite source on the morphology and properties of nylon 6 nanocomposites was examined using equivalent experimental conditions. Sodium montmorillonite samples acquired from two well-known mines, Yamagata, Japan, and Wyoming, USA, were ion exchanged with the same alkyl ammonium chloride compound. The resulting organoclays were extruded with a high molecular weight grade of nylon 6 under the same processing conditions. Quantitative analysis of TEM photomicrographs of the two nanocomposites reveal a slightly larger average particle length and a slightly higher degree of platelet exfoliation for the Yamagata based nanocomposite than the Wyoming version, thus, translating into a higher particle aspect ratio. The stress-strain behavior of the nanocomposites appears to reflect the nanocomposite morphology, in that higher stiffness and strengths are attainable with the increased particle aspect ratio. Moreover, the trends in stiffness behavior between the two types of nanocomposites may be explained by conventional composite theory.     

Nylon 6 nanocomposites prepared by a melt mixing masterbatch process

A melt mixing masterbatch process for preparing nylon 6 nanocomposites that provides good exfoliation and low melt viscosities has been investigated. It is known that high molecular weight (HMW) grades of nylon 6 lead to higher levels of exfoliation of organoclays than do low molecular weight (LMW) grades of nylon 6. However, LMW grades of nylon 6 have lower melt viscosities, which are favorable for certain commercial applications like injection molding. To resolve this, a two-step process to prepare nanocomposites based on nylon 6 is explored here. In the first step, a masterbatch of organoclay in HMW nylon 6 is prepared by melt processing to give exfoliation. In the second step, the masterbatch is diluted with LMW nylon 6 to the desired montmorillonite (MMT) content to reduce melt viscosity. Wide angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and stress-strain analysis were used to evaluate the effect of the clay content in the masterbatch on the morphology and physical properties of the final nanocomposite. The melt viscosity was characterized by Brabender Torque Rheometry. The physical properties of the nanocomposites prepared by the masterbatch approach lie between those of the corresponding composites prepared directly from HMW nylon 6 and LMW nylon 6. A clear trade-off was observed between the modulus and melt processability. Masterbatches that have lower MMT content offer a significant decrease in melt viscosity and a small reduction in modulus compared to nanocomposites prepared directly from HMW nylon 6. Higher MMT concentrations in the masterbatch lead to a less favorable trade-off.     

Effect of organoclay purity and degradation on nanocomposite performance, Part 2: Morphology and properties of nanocomposites

Part 1 of this series showed that the purification level and surfactant loadings of organoclays significantly affect their thermal stability; the higher rate of degradation of as-received commercial organoclay is primarily a result of excess surfactant that is intentionally or unintentionally part of the commercial organoclay. Polypropylene nanocomposites and nylon 6 nanocomposites were formed through melt processing to assess the practical consequences, in terms of nanocomposite formation and performance, of using a purified version of the organoclay with no excess surfactant and a lower rate of thermal degradation versus using the as-received organoclay. The properties and morphology of polymer-clay nanocomposites based on both as-received and purified organoclays were evaluated by TEM, WAXS, and mechanical testing. The results from the different techniques were generally consistent with each other suggesting that the differences in thermal stability of organoclays do not appear to have a significant effect on the morphology and properties of the nanocomposites formed from them.     

Polycarbonate nanocomposites. Part 1. Effect of organoclay structure on morphology and properties

Polycarbonate nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing from a series of organoclays based on sodium montmorillonite exchanged with various amine surfactants. To explore the effects of matrix molecular weight on dispersion, an organoclay was melt-mixed with a medium molecular weight polycarbonate (MMW-PC) and a high molecular weight polycarbonate (HMW-PC) using a twin screw extruder. The effects of surfactant chemical structure on the morphology and physical properties were explored for nanocomposites formed from HMW-PC. Wide angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and stress-strain behavior were employed to investigate the nanocomposite morphology and physical properties. The modulus enhancement is greater for nanocomposites formed from HMW-PC than MMW-PC. This trend is attributed to the higher shear stress generated during melt processing. A surfactant having both polyoxyethylene and octadecyl tails shows the most significant improvement in modulus with some of the clay platelets fully exfoliated. However, the nanocomposites formed from a range of other organoclays contained both intercalated tactoids and collapsed clay particles with few, if any, exfoliated platelets.     

Properties and morphology of nanocomposites based on styrenic polymers, Part II: Effects of maleic anhydride units

Based on enhancement in exfoliation for polyolefin-g-maleic anhydride composites with the addition of as little as 1 wt% maleic anhydride (MA), the effect of MA in styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA)-based nanocomposites was studied. SMA nanocomposites were mixed using a DSM melt compounder followed by injection molding in a pneumatic bench top molder. These materials produced the same modulus enhancement and TEM-based areal particle densities on a weight percent basis as SAN-based nanocomposites from a previous study, but the areal TEM-based particle densities remained lower overall than literature values for polyolefin-g-MA mixtures. This behavior is explained by repulsive interactions between styrene and the alkyl tail of the surfactant, suggesting that polar surfactant tails could lead to improved exfoliation in styrene copolymer-based/montmorillonite nanocomposites. The role of increased melt viscosity and shearing on particle dispersion as MA is added to the copolymer is discussed.     

Morphology and properties of nanocomposites from organoclays with reduced cation exchange capacity

Organoclays with different levels of reduction in the original cation exchange capacity (CEC) were prepared to characterize the morphology and Young's modulus of their melt‐processed nanocomposites made from nylon 6 (PA‐6) and polypropylene/polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PP/PP‐g‐MA). Wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Young's modulus data are reported. Three different levels of CEC reduction were obtained; WAXS analysis and percentage loss on ignition (LOI) calculations for these organoclays showed a reduction in both the intergallery spacing and in the amount of organic modifier contained in the clay with CEC reduction. The morphology and modulus results show that these reduced‐CEC organoclays led to lower exfoliation and modulus enhancement for both PA‐6 and PP/PP‐g‐MA nanocomposites. The results may be influenced by differences in layer charge and charge distribution that could have been produced during the charge reduction process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Polyamide 66 nanocomposites based on organoclays treated with thermally stable phosphonium salts

Purification of bentonite clays and their modification with two thermally stable (alkyl and aryl) phosphonium organic salts were investigated. The organoclays were subsequently melt compounded with Polyamide 66 (PA66), with and without the use of an elastomeric compatibilizer. The morphology, melt flow, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the binary and ternary nanocomposites were studied. The bentonite clay was purified by sedimentation, resulting in higher cation exchange capacity and thermal stability in comparison with unpurified clay. These were then used in the synthesis of two thermally stable organoclays by replacing the interlayer sodium cations with two (alkyl and aryl) phosphonium surfactant cations to circumvent the problem of low temperature decomposition of quaternary ammonium organoclays usually used in polymer nanocomposites. The organoclay with aliphatic groups showed more compatibility with PA66 in comparison with the organoclay with aromatic groups. Thus, the use of organoclay with aliphatic groups resulted in nanocomposites with higher tensile strength, higher modulus, higher elongation at break, and higher impact strength in comparison with the nanocomposites produced from the organoclay with aromatic groups. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Intercalation and viscoelasticity of poly(ether-block-amide) copolymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites: Effect of surfactant

A poly(ether-block-amide) copolymer (PEBA) was successfully hybridized with montmorillonites using melt processing techniques to form nanocomposites. The organoclays used in preparation of the nanocomposites were modified with ammonium surfactants of different molecular structures to study the effect of the surfactant on the intercalation and exfoliation of the polymer by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic linear viscoelastic analysis. The polymer was found to be capable of forming intercalated composite with unmodified montmorillonite and the best intercalation and exfoliation was found in the hybrids using surfactants that possess hydroxyl group. Organoclays modified with a single tallow tail ammonium prevailed over those modified with a double tallow tail ammonium in intercalation and exfoliation of silicate layers. Higher capacity of ion exchange also led to a better intercalation for hybrids using single tail surfactants, but the hybrids with swallow tail surfactant behaved oppositely. XRD data showed that the diffraction peaks in the hybrids were narrower than those of the organoclay implying a higher order and more number of layers in the stacks of clays. The intercalation of nanocomposites was found dominated by the energetic factor and entropic factor played no role in the outcome of intercalation. Results of linear viscoelastic measurements paralleled those of XRD showing that melts of those nanocomposites with a superior intercalation or exfoliation also exhibited higher storage modulus and thus the linear viscoelasticity could be an indicator for intercalation. The composites showed an abnormal terminal behavior suggesting the existence of a network structure.     

Evaluation of amine functionalized polypropylenes as compatibilizers for polypropylene nanocomposites

The compatibilization effects provided by amine functionalized polypropylenes versus those of a maleated polypropylene, PP-g-MA, for forming polypropylene-based nanocomposites were compared. Amine functionalized polypropylenes were prepared by reaction of maleated polypropylene, PP-g-MA, with 1,12-diaminododecane in the melt to form PP-g-NH₂ which was subsequently protonated to form PP-g-NH₃⁺. Nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing using a DSM microcompounder (residence time of 10 min) by blending polypropylene and these functionalized materials with sodium montmorillonite, Na-MMT, and with an organoclay. X-ray and transmission electron microscopy plus tensile modulus tests were used to characterize those nanocomposites. Composites based on Na-MMT as the filler showed almost no improvement of tensile modulus compared to the polymer matrix using any of these functionalized polypropylenes, which indicated that almost no exfoliation was achieved. All the compatibilized nanocomposites using an organoclay, based on quaternary ammonium surfactant modified MMT, as the filler had better clay exfoliation compared to the uncompatibilized PP nanocomposites. Binary and ternary nanocomposites using amine functionalized polypropylenes had good clay exfoliation, but no advantage over those using PP-g-MA. The PP-g-MA/organoclay and PP/PP-g-MA/organoclay nanocomposites showed the most substantial improvements in terms of both mechanical properties and clay exfoliation.     

Preparation and characterization of nanocomposites based on thermoplastic elastomers from rubber–plastic blends

In the present work, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)–clay nanocomposites (TPN) based on different rubber–plastic blends from ethylene–octene copolymer [Engage]–Polypropylene and brominated poly(isobutylene‐co‐paramethyl styrene)–nylon 6 were prepared by melt blending. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and octadecyl amine‐modified sodium montmorillonite were used as organoclays. The nanocomposites were prepared by adding the nanoclay separately into the rubber and plastic phases. The TPNs were characterized with the help of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction. The X‐ray diffraction peaks observed in the range of 3–10° for the modified clays disappeared in the thermoplastic elastomeric nanocomposites. TEM photographs showed exfoliation and intercalation of the clays in the range of 20–30 nm in the particular phase where the clay was added. Excellent improvement in mechanical properties like tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus was observed on incorporation of the nanoclays in the rubber phase of TPN. When the nanoclay was added to the plastic phase, the mechanical reinforcement is comparatively poorer due to partial destruction of the crystallinity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1645–1656, 2006     

Crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites

The crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites formed by melt processing was investigated. Nanocomposites were produced by extruding mixtures of organically modified montmorillonite and molten nylon 6 using a twin screw extruder. Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization studies involving differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were conducted on samples to understand how organoclay concentration and degree of clay platelet exfoliation influence the kinetics of polyamide crystallization. Very low levels of clay result in dramatic increases in crystallization kinetics relative to extruded pure polyamide. However, increasing the concentration of clay beyond these levels retards the rate of crystallization. For the pure nylon 6, the rate of crystallization decreases with increasing the molecular weight as expected; however, the largest enhancement in crystallization rate was observed for nanocomposites based on high molecular weight polyamides; this is believed to stem from a higher degree of platelet exfoliation in these nanocomposites. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and DSC were further used to characterize the polymer crystalline morphology of injection molded nanocomposites. The outer or skin layer of molded specimens was found to contain only γ-crystals; whereas, the central or core region contains both the α and γ-forms. The presence of clay enhanced the γ-structure in the skin; however, the clay has little effect on crystal structure in the core. Interestingly, higher levels of crystallinity were observed in the skin than in the core for the nanocomposites, while the opposite was true for the pure polyamides. In general, increasing the polymer matrix molecular weight resulted in a lower degree of crystallinity in molded samples as might be expected.     

Vulcanization behavior and mechanical properties of organoclay fluoroelastomer nanocomposites

The vulcanization behavior and mechanical properties of clay/fluoroelastomer nanocomposites produced by melt‐mixing of Dyneon FPO 3741 (a terpolymer of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and tetrafluoroethylene) with 10 phr of unmodified montmorillonite (CloisiteNA) or di(hydrogenated tallow‐alkyl) dimethyl ammonium‐modified montmorillonites (Cloisite15A and Cloisite20A) were studied. The properties of clay/FKM nanocomposites were compared with composites prepared using 10 and 30 phr of carbon black. The effects of clay surfactant and surfactant concentration on the vulcanization behavior, mechanical, and dynamical properties of peroxide cured composites were studied. XRD results of cured composites showed a decrease in d‐spacing and indicated deintercalation of the clays after the vulcanization process. It was also found that organoclays retard the FKM peroxide vulcanization process. Significantly, higher maximum torque on vulcanization was obtained with organoclays versus unmodified clay and carbon black. Although the morphologies of organoclay/FKM nanocomposites studied by XRD and TEM suggest similar intercalated/exfoliated structures, the organoclay with the lowest concentration of surfactant (95 meq/100 g clay) resulted in the highest increase in torque, modulus, hardness, and tear strength in the clay/FKM nanocomposites. It was also found that organoclays can increase both the hydrodynamic reinforcement and hysteresis loss of FKM nanocomposites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Preparation and characterization of polyether‐block‐amide copolymer/clay nanocomposites

A polyether‐block‐amide copolymer was successfully blended with eight organoclays and one sodium montmorillonite by melt processing technique to form nanocomposites. X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimeter analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile test, and linear viscoelastic analysis were used to characterize the hybrids. The molecular structure of the surfactants in the organoclays was found having a significant impact on the viscoelasticity and the d‐spacing gain of the clays. Hybrids from organoclays using surfactants with a single long alkyl tail had a higher d‐spacing gain than those from organoclays using surfactants with two long alkyl tails. The melt viscoelasticity was found excellently correlated to the d‐spacing gain and hence the linear viscoelasticity could be an excellent indicator for platelet organization in the composites. The melt viscoelasticity is fairly correlated to the tensile modulus and glass transition temperature of the soft and hard segment, implying that the platelet organization plays a role in these properties. Properties such as melting point, thermal degradation temperature, elongation at break, and tensile strength are not correlated to the viscoelasticity. The failure indicates that these properties are irrelevant to or less influenced by the platelet organization. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:235–243, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.