Process for preparing a high barrier amorphous polyamide-clay nanocomposite

A process for preparing an amorphous polyamide-clay nanocomposite comprising the steps of:

• a. melt mixing a layered clay material with an oligomeric polyamide resin to form an oligomeric polyamide resin-clay composite, and
• b. mixing the oligomeric resin-clay composite with a high molecular weight amorphous matrix polyamide comprising (i) a residue of at least two dicarboxylic acid components and (ii) a residue of at least one diamine component, to form the amorphous polyamide-clay nanocomposite,
• wherein the layered clay material has been cation exchanged with an onium cation of the formula:
• and wherein M is nitrogen, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of linear or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, aralkyl groups which are benzyl and substituted benzyl moieties including fused-ring moieties having linear chains or branches of 1 to 100 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion of the structure, aryl groups such as phenyl and substituted phenyl including fused-ring aromatic substituents, beta, gamma unsaturated groups having six or less carbon atoms, alkyleneoxide groups having repeating units comprising 2 to 6 carbon atoms, or polyalkylene oxide groups.