Nanoindentation behavior of clay/poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites.

Depth-sensing nanoindentation of clay/poly(ethylene oxide) nanocomposites has shown significant differences in the mechanical behavior of the composites, depending on method of synthesis and clay content. In general, the clay/polymer nanocomposite approach can dramatically improve the hardness, stiffness, and creep resistance of the polymer. However, these improvements are dependent on the clay content. At lower concentrations, the improvements are not significant, because of an adverse effect on creep behavior.