Thermal behavior and pyrolysis products of modified organo-layered silicates as intermediates for in situ polymerization

A systematic study on organo-layered silicate intermediates used for preparing in situ polyethylene nanocomposites was performed by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. The type and composition of the pyrolysis products gave useful information about mechanism of thermal degradation. The combination of pyrolysis and thermal decomposition data allowed us to describe the evolution of the organoclay structure after the reactive pretreatment steps with alkylaluminoxane cocatalyst and zirconocene or bis(imino)pyridine iron precatalyst, respectively. A proof of the formation of heterogeneous organoclay-immobilized catalyst was obtained.