Melt Processing and Characterization of Nanocomposites of PP/Na⁺MMT Blending with Hyperbranched Polyester

Abstract

The present work accounts new approach for processing of PP nanocomposites containing 5 phr pristine Na þ montmorillonite clay with better clay dispersion by a single-step process along with improved processability using hyperbranched polyester (HBPE). A series of PP/MMT nanocomposites with different HBPE contents were fabricated by direct melt compounding on a Brabender torque rheometer where all components of the blends were fed simultaneously for mixing. The efficiency of this approach was evaluated against PP/MMT nanocomposites prepared with polypropylene graft-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) compatibilizer. The overall results revealed that systems with HBPE showed better balance of rheology and mechanical properties than nanocomposites with PP-g-MA. INTRODUCTIONIn the field of nanocomposites, polymer=layered-silicate nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention over the past decade as they offer remarkable enhancements of mechanical, thermal and barrier properties compared to pure polymers or conventionally filled composites [1][2][3][4] . However the complete dispersion or exfoliation of the clay nanolayers into the polymer system is necessary to get composites with improved mechanical performance but it proved to be a challenging job due to difference in polarity of polymer matrix and nanoparticles [5] .Significant research done by Toyota research group in the preparation of nylon-6=nano-clay composites has opened rebellion potential in the development of new nanostructured materials, where the property enhancements originate from the result of homogeneous dispersion of the silicate layers which was made possible due to better

Melt processing and characterization of polypropylene/pristine montmorillonite nanocomposite: Influence of compatibilizer and hyperbranched polymer

“…. As mentioned in the earlier report, the characteristic peak of pristine MMT (2θ = 5.9) in the PP/MMT composite was shifted to a lower angle in the composite containing as low as 5 phr of individual polar HBPE . This confirmed improvement in dispersion of MMT in the presence of HBPE.…”

“…As reported in the earlier work, addition of 5 phr HBPE to PP/natural clay composite (PP‐6) showed a great reduction in the processing torque (Table ) as compared to the processing torque of pure PP and PP with neat MMT . In the present study, the presence of even 15 phr compatibilizer to the PP/MMT composite (PP‐2) showed no significant difference between processing torque when compared with the pure PP.…”

“…In our earlier report, we have evaluated the effect of HBPE (Boltorn 30) and compatibilizer (PP‐g‐MA) individually on the performance of melt intercalated PP natural clay nanocomposites . The results indicated that besides easy processability, HBPE is beneficial for improved dispersibility of pristine clay layers into the polymer matrix and showed enhance thermomechanical performance of the nanocomposites as compared to a conventional PP‐g‐MA compatibilizer.…”

Microencapsulation of quinoline as a corrosion inhibitor in polyurea microcapsules for application in anticorrosive PU coatings

“…Dendritic and hyperbranched polymers are a new class of polymers with terminal multi-functionality and have received a great deal of attention from many research groups [16][17][18]. It is reported that these macromolecules have been found to be effective to toughen thermosetting polymers such as epoxies and urea formaldehyde [19,20].…”

Effect of maleated polypropylene as a compatibilizer and hyperbranched polyester as a processing aid on polypropylene‐wood flour biocomposites

“…The torque value of composites decreased with increase in amount of HBPE in composites. This trend would have occurred due to presence of HBPE as it lowers the melt viscosity and acts as a lubricant during processing . Hence, the least value of torque was obtained with composites having highest amount of HBPE, that is, 15 phr.…”