Via gamma-ray irradiation polymerization, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/clay nanocomposites were successfully prepared with reactive modified clay and nonreactive clay. With reactive modified clay, exfoliated PMMA/clay nanocomposites were obtained, and with nonreactive clay, intercalated PMMA/clay nanocomposites were obtained. Both results were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. PMMA extracted from PMMA/clay nanocomposites synthesized by gamma-ray irradiation had higher molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. The enhanced thermal properties of the PMMA/clay nanocomposites were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The improved mechanical properties of PMMA/clay were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis. In particular, the enhancement of the thermal properties of the PMMA/clay nanocomposites with reactive modified clay was much more obvious than that of the PMMA/clay nanocomposites with nonreactive clay. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.