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A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite composition comprising forming an intercalating composition comprising 1% to about 90% by weight of a purified sodium smectite clay that contains at least 75% Na+ ions based on the total interlayer exchangeable cations, that has been intercalated and thereby

A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite composition comprising forming an intercalating composition comprising 1% to about 90% by weight of a purified sodium smectite clay that contains at least 75% Na+ ions based on the total interlayer exchangeable cations, that has been intercalated and thereby swollen sufficiently for polyamide monomer or oligomer intercalation, with a protonated organic, non-carboxylic acid moiety-containing onium ion swelling agent; and about 10% to about 99% of a lactam ring-containing monomer or oligomer, and heating the intercalating composition to a temperature above the melting point of the lactam to open the lactam ring and polymerize the lactam to form the polyamide while in contact with the smectite clay.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite composition comprising forming an intercalating composition comprising 1% to about 90% by weight of a purified sodium smectite clay that contains at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchangeable cations, that has

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite composition comprising forming an intercalating composition comprising 1% to about 90% by weight of a purified sodium smectite clay that contains at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchangeable cations, that has been intercalated and thereby swollen sufficiently for polyamide monomer or oligomer intercalation, with a protonated organic, non-carboxylic acid moiety-containing primary or secondary onium ion swelling agent; and about 10% to about 99% of a lactam ring-containing monomer or oligomer, and heating the intercalating composition to a temperature above the melting point of the lactam to open the lactam ring and polymerize the lactam to form the polyamide while in contact with the smectite clay. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanocomposite composition is a concentrate having about 0.5% to about 80% protonated onium ion-intercalated, purified sodium smectite clay and about 20% to about 99.5% in-situ formed polyamide. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the nanocomposite composition is a concentrate having about 8% to about 50% onium ion-intercalated purified sodium smectite clay and about 50% to about 92% in-situ formed polyamide. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercalating composition includes about 1% to about 20%, by weight of the lactam ring-containing monomer or oligomer of a lactam ring opening catalyst. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the lactam ring-opening catalyst comprises amino caproic acid, water, or a combination thereof. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyamide is PA6, PA11, PA12, or a mixture thereof. 7. The method of claim 2, further including the step of melt compounding the nanocomposite concentrate composition with a polyamide matrix polymer to form a melt compounded composition. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the polyamide matrix polymer is PA6, MXD6, or a mixture thereof. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the concentrate comprises 10 to 40% of the melt compounded composition and the polyamide matrix polymer comprises 60 to 90% of the melt compounded composition. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the melt compounded composition is formed into a film. 11. The method of claim 2 comprising about 0.5% to about 30% of the ion-exchanged, onium ion-treated clay and about 70% to about 99.5% in-situ polymerized polyamide. 12. The method of claim 11 comprising about 0.5% to about 20% of the ion-exchanged, onium ion-treated clay and about 80% to about 99.5% in-situ polymerized polyamide. 13. The method of claim 12 comprising about 1% to about 10% of the ion-exchanged, onium ion-treated clay and about 90% to about 99% in-situ polymerized polyamide. 14. A method of forming nanocomposite composition comprising dispersing an intercalate comprising a purified, ion exchange smectite clay having at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchanageable cations, said clay having 50 to 100 mole percent of its interlayer Na ions exchanged with protonated primary or secondary onium ions that do not contain a carboxylic acid moiety, said onium ion-exchanged clay being intercalated with a lactum ring-containing monomer or oligomer that is polymerized in-situ into a polyamide matrix polymer. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the nanocomposite composition is a concentrate having about 0.5% to about 80% protonated primary or secondary onium ion-intercalated, purified sodium smectite clay and about 20% to about 99.5% in-situ formed polyamide. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the nanocomposite composition is a concentrate having about 8% to about 50% onium ion-intercalated, purified sodium smectite clay and about 50% to about 92% in-situ formed polyamide. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the polyamide is PA6, PA11, PA12, or a mixture thereof. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the polyamide matrix polymer is an aromatic nylon. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the aromatic nylon comprises a reaction product of m-xylylenediamine and a dicarboxylic acid. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the aromatic nylon comprises PAMXD6. 21. A method of making a nanocomposite concentrate composition, comprising forming a concentrate containing about 8% to about 50% by weight of an intercalate comprising a purified, ion exchange smectite clay having at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchanageable cations, said clay having 50 to 100 mole percent of its interlayer Na ions exchanged with protonated primary or secondary onium ions that do not contain a carboxylic acid moiety, said onium ion-exchanged clay being intercalated with a lactum ring-containing monomer or oligomer that is polymerized in-situ and about 50% to about 92% of a polyamide. 22. A method of forming a nanocomposite composition comprising mixing the nanocomposite concentrate formed by the method of claim 21 into a polyamide matrix polymer. 23. A method of making a nanocomposite composition comprising dispersing about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of an intercalate comprising a purified, ion exchange smectite clay having at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchanageable cations, said clay having 50 to 100 mole percent of its interlayer Na ions exchanged with protonated primary or secondary onium ions that do not contain a carboxylic acid moiety, said onium ion-exchanged clay being intercalated with a lactum ring-containing monomer or oligomer that is polymerized in-situ and about 70% to about 99.5% by weight of a polyamide matrix polymer. 24. A method of making nanocomposite composition comprising dispersing about 0.5% to about 20% by weight of an intercalate comprising a purified, ion exchange smectite clay having at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchanageable cations, said clay having 50 to 100 mole percent of its interlayer Na ions exchanged with protonated primary or secondary onium ions that do not contain a carboxylic acid moiety, said onium ion-exchanged clay being intercalated with a lactum ring-containing monomer or oligomer that is polymerized in-situ and about 80% to about 99.5% by weight of a polyamide matrix polymer. 25. A method of making nanocomposite composition comprising dispersing about 1% to about 10% by weight of an intercalate comprising a purified, ion exchange smectite clay having at least 75% Na ions based on the total interlayer exchanageable cations, said clay having 50 to 100 mole percent of its interlayer Na ions exchanged with protonated primary or secondary onium ions that do not contain a carboxylic acid moiety, said onium ion-exchanged clay being intercalated with a lactum ring-containing monomer or oligomer that is polymerized in-situ and about 90% to about 99% by weight of a polyamide matrix polymer.