Preparation of PCL/organobentonite nanocomposites via melt intercalation by extrusion

ANDRES TORRES NICOLINI; ROMINA OLLIER; VERA ALVAREZ; LEANDRO LUDUEÑA

Mar del Plata

Simposio; XVI Latin-American Polymer Symposium (SLAP 2018), XIV Iberoamerican Polymer Congress (CIP 2018); 2018

Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA)

The use of biodegradable polymers in order to reduce the accumulation of traditional polymer products and the consequent contamination of the environment has been a very active field of research. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a synthetic, semi-crystalline and biodegradable polyester. It has low glass transition and melting temperatures (-60 °C and 60 °C, respectively). PCL is known for its ductility and undergoes large deformations; however, it has very low modulus making it not suitable for certain applications. The performance PCL can be improved by the addition of nano-sized inorganic fillers, such as clays1. Polymer/clay compatibility and adequate processing conditions are key factors that must be considered in order to obtain nanocomposites with optimized properties.The aim of this work is to prepare biodegradable PCL/organoclay nanocomposites with optimized properties by melt intercalation in a twin screw extruder at pilot scale, followed by compression molding.