EFFECT OF SIZE REINFORCENMENT ON THE BEHAVIOR OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER BASED COMPOSITES

L. LUDUEÑA; A. VAZQUEZ; V. ALVAREZ

Salerno, Italia

Congreso; Polymer Processing Society, 24th. Anual Meeting; 2008

The polymer processing society

The study was based on the influence of the filler on the crystallization behavior and morphology the mechanical properties of the pure matrix. In this work composites of polycaprolactone with 5 wt.% of agricultural cotton (macro); cellulose (micro) and nano-cellulose and also two different commercial clays (nano): one unmodified (MMT) and another organically modified were prepared by melt-intercalation. It was determined that, whereas the macro and micro reinforcement produced a decrease on the crystallinity of the matrix, the nano-scale filler did not affect it. On the other hand, a clear decrease on the theoretical melting point took place in all cases; due to the presence of more heterogeneous nucleation that reduce the perfection of polycaprolactone crystallites but the effect was remarkable for higher-scale filler. The induction time, as well as, the half-crystallization time diminished when reinforcement was incorporated to the pure PCL; the higher the reinforcement scale, the higher the effect on both parameters. In the case of the nanocomposite; the clay dispersion degree, which is related to the filler/matrix compatibility, also affects both parameters. From the tensile tests; it is clear that the incorporation of all the fillers, except the nanocellulose, drive to a decrease on the tensile strength as well as an increase on the Young’s modulus.