To improve the physical properties of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (p-PVC), the p-PVC nanocomposites filled with four loading levels (3, 5, 7, and 9 parts per hundred of PVC resin) of either nanosized titanium dioxide (nTiO 2 ) or poly(methyl methacrylate)-encapsulated nTiO 2 (PMMA-nTiO 2 ) were prepared by melt mixing on a two-roll mill, followed by compression molding. The PMMA-nTiO 2 used in this study was synthesized via in situ differential microemulsion polymerization. The resulting PMMA-nTiO 2 exhibited core-shell morphology (nTiO 2 core and PMMA shell) with an average diameter of 42.6 nm. The effects of nTiO 2 and PMMA-nTiO 2 on the tensile properties, hardness, morphology, and thermal stability of the as-prepared p-PVC nanocomposites were then investigated and compared. The inclusion of either nTiO 2 or PMMA-nTiO 2 nanoparticles increased the tensile strength, Young's modulus, hardness, and thermal stability of the nanocomposites in a dose-dependent manner and reduced the elongation at break. However, the elongation at break was still higher than that for the neat p-PVC. Moreover, the PMMA-nTiO 2 nanocomposites had a higher enhancement of the tensile strength, Young's modulus, hardness, and thermal stability than the nTiO 2 nanocomposites at a similar loading level. Hence, the PMMA grafted on the nTiO 2 surface played an important role in toughening and increasing the thermal stability of the nanocomposites owing to the improved miscibility and interfacial adhesion between the encapsulated nanofiller and PVC matrix. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL.,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.