Improved the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) by forming nanocomposites with attapulgite

Attapulgite (ATP) reinforced poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing in a HAAKE mixer. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarization microscope (POM) analysis results indicated that ATP can effectively act as nucleating agent. The crystallization temperature of PBSA matrix was 10 °C higher than that of the homogeneous PBSA with 5 wt% ATP. The crystallization rate was increased and the size of the spherulites was reduced with the ATP added into PBSA matrix. The participation of ATP did not modify the crystal structure of PBSA according to X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. The efficient of hydrogen bonding between PBSA matrix and ATP surface reinforced properties of PBSA matrices. The break elongation of the 1 wt% PBSA/ATP nanocomposite was about twice of that of homogeneous PBSA. The hydrogen bonding improved compatibility between ATP and PBSA, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for nanocomposite with lower ATP content. Because the effect of ATP aggregates was more significantly than the hydrogen bonding, the degree of hydrogen bonding monotonically decreased with the increasing content of ATP in the matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results showed that there was a significant increase of storage modulus (E′) in the overall temperature range of all nanocomposites compared to homogeneous PBSA. ATP had strong effect on the elastic properties of PBSA matrix. ATP added into PBSA matrix could improve PBSA/ATP thermal stability than homogeneous PBSA. The onset decomposition temperature of all PBSA/ATP nanocomposites was higher than that of homogeneous PBSA.

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► Attapulgite is used as both the nucleating agent and reinforcing filler in PBSA.
► The mechanical properties of nanocomposites are improved by H-bond.
► The break elongation of the 1 wt% nanocomposite is twice of that of PBSA.
► The distribution and dispersion of attapulgite are improved by H-bond.
► Improved thermal stability broadens the processing ability of PBSA.