Effect of montmorillonite on the crystallization and thermal degradation of poly(propylene-coethylene- co-1-butene) nanocomposites

VERÓNICA RIECHERT; MARCELO D. FAILLA; LIDIA M. QUINZANI

JOURNAL OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS

SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD

Lugar: London; Año: 2017

0892-7057

Polymeric nanocompositesbased on poly(propylene-co-ethylene-co-1-butene) (PEBC) were elaborated by meltmixing using an organophilic montmorillonite (o-MMT), and maleated PEBC (PEBCg)as compatibilizer. The effect of clay concentration, PEBCg:o-MMT ratio, and graftingdegree of the compatibilizer, were consider. X-ray diffraction and scanningelectron microscopy show formation of partially intercalated structures in allcompatibilized composites with well distributed small tactoids. According tothe differential scanning calorimetry results, the anhydride groups of thecompatibilizer have a marginal nucleating effect, while the o-MMT causes aslight decrease in the crystallization temperature of the polymer. PEBCpresents the largest activation energy of crystallization, Ea, while the composites showlower Ea than their matrices. It is also observed that therate of degradation of PEBC is not affected by the presence of PEBCg. Thenanoclay, on the other hand, retards the decomposition process of the polymericmatrix in about 40°C and augments its rate of degradation approximately 4 times