Montmorillonite Exfoliation in LLDPE and Factors Affecting Its Orientation: From Monolayer to Multi-Nano-Layer Polymer Films.

The motivations of the present work are to investigate the exfoliation of montmorillonite within a linear low-density polyethylene matrix and to control its orientation during the cast extrusion process. The first part is focused on the exfoliation of the montmorillonite through the melt extrusion process. The accuracy and relevance of each method used to determine the exfoliation state of montmorillonite have been examined, thanks to X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy, and rheology.

A Comparative Study on the Roll-to-Roll Processing of a Silicate-Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Barrier Lacquer Using Slot-Die and Reverse Gravure Coating Techniques.

The integration of platelet-shaped montmorillonite particles to improve the oxygen barrier of polyvinyl-alcohol-based barrier layers is state-of-the-art, but research on roll-to-roll coatings of such composite barrier lacquers has not been widely published. In this study, two different coating techniques, slot-die and reverse gravure, were used on a roll-to-roll scale to apply barrier lacquers comprising polyvinyl alcohol and montmorillonite. The lacquers were analyzed regarding viscosity at certain shear rates and surface energy and the dried coating layers regarding oxygen barrier, surface morphology, and particle orientation.