Montmorillonite (MMT) was modified by ultrasound and castor oil quaternary ammonium salt intercalation method to prepare a new type of organic montmorillonite (OMMT). The surface structure

particle morphology

interlayer distance

and thermal behavior of the samples obtained were characterized. The modified OMMT was then added to chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR) by mechanical blending

and a composite material with excellent damping properties was obtained. The mechanical experiment results of CIIR nanocomposites showed that the addition of OMMT improved their tensile strength

hardness

and stress relaxation rate. Compared with pure CIIR

when the content of OMMT was 5 phr (part per hundred of rubber)

the tensile strength of the nanocomposite was increased by 677% and the elongation at break was also increased by 105.4%. The enhancement of this performance was mainly due to the dispersion of the nanosheets in CIIR rubber and the chemical interaction between the organoclay and the polymer matrix

which was confirmed by morphology and spectral analysis. OMMT also endowed a positive effect on the damping properties of CIIR nanocomposites. After adding 5 phr of OMMT

the nanocomposite owned the best damping performance

and the damping

factor

tan

δ

max

was 37.9% higher than that of pure CIIR. Therefore

the good damping and mechanical properties of these CIIR nanocomposites provided some novel and promising methods for preparing high-damping rubber in a wide temperature range.