Preparation of PCL/organobentonite nanocomposites via melt intercalation by extrusion

ROMINA OLLIER; ANDRÉS TORRES NICOLINI; LEANDRO LUDUEÑA; VERA ALEJANDRA ALVAREZ

Mar del Plata

Simposio; XVI Simposio Latinoamericano de Polímeros (SLAP 2018) y el XIV Congreso Iberoamericano de Polímeros (CIP 2018); 2018

Instituto de Investigación 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 screwextruder at pilot scale, followed by compression molding.