CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

In this work the preparation, characterization and mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers/clay nanocomposites have been studied. Three different matrices were used: starch, polycaprolactone and a commercial blend of both of them. The nanofillers were unmodified clay and two organo-modified clays that were used in order to improve the compatibility with the matrices. Also the effect of the processing technique and the critical parameters of each one were analyzed. XRD showed that the most of the clays are intercalated and partially exfoliated. The highest improvements on the mechanical properties were found for the lowest matrix modulus. A micromechanical model, based on the effective filler parameters was used and the effective stacked clay value (n) was estimated and correlated with the degree of dispersion of the clay within the polymeric chains. The modification of the clay drove to enhanced mechanical properties, in agreement with the higher compatibility related to the similar polarity between matrix and the clay.