Surface morphological analysis and water vapor barrier properties of modified Cloisite 30B/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) composites

In this work, bionanocomposites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were prepared via a solution intercalation process using two types of organomodified clay minerals (0 to 40 w%). The effect of Cloisite®30B (C30B) and an intercalated clay mineral, which was synthesized via ring opening polymerization of polyhydroxybutyrate in the presence of Cloisite®30B (PHB-C30B), on the wettability of the assemblies has been investigated in detail. Moreover, phase morphology of the nanocomposite films was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The moisture adsorption of PHBV and its nanocomposite films was determined using Belsorp-Max. The nanocomposite films derived from PHB-C30B exhibited higher wettability than those derived from C30B. An explanation, based on the surface topographies, has been proposed. Phase morphology, filler dispersion and root mean square roughness (RMS) were also analyzed. The results revealed the impact of aggregates on water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and contact angle of the composites.