Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5206240 | Polymer Testing | 2014 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
The effect of clay nanoparticles on the glass transition and melting behavior of PLA was examined using a heat flux, rapid scanning rate calorimeter. The samples were prepared by electrospinning through incorporation of clay in the electrospinning solution, which facilitated composites with high filler loadings (15-25Â wt.%). Incorporation of clay increased the crystallization kinetics of PLA only at lower loading levels. The incorporation of 15.3Â wt.% clay resulted in only a slight reduction in the overall degree of crystallinity (wc) in PLA, while a substantial reduction was observed with the incorporation of 25.0Â wt.% clay. A significant reduction in the equilibrium melting temperature (Tm0) was observed for nanocomposites containing 15.3Â wt.% clay compared to the neat PLA fiber; however, the extent of reduction was mitigated when increasing the clay loading further to 25Â wt.%. The PLA nanocomposites with 15.3Â wt.% clay exhibited the lowest Tg values in both semicrystalline and amorphous samples. Elucidating the differences in thermal behavior and morphology of these nanocomposites as a function of clay loading is crucial for optimizing their physical and mechanical properties.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Authors
Prashanth Badrinarayanan, Frank K. Ko, Chunhong Wang, Brian A. Richard, Michael R. Kessler,