The free volume in acrylic resin/laponite nanocomposite coatings

The morphological features and the free volume properties of an acrylic resin/laponite nanocomposite are investigated using X-ray diffraction and Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy. The effects of particle loading on the degree of exfoliation is examined. The measured lifetime spectra and the relative intensities of samples with different particle loading, as well as the shape parameters of the Doppler line broadening are correlated to the free volume in the nanocomposite and the measured image gas solubility. The effect of the exfoliated nanoclay on the free volume of the composite is found to be very small for clay volume fraction up to 0.2%.