Preparation and characterization of poly(lactic acid)/boron oxide nanocomposites: Thermal, mechanical, crystallization, and flammability properties

Abstract

In this study, poly(lactic acid)/boron oxide nanocomposites (PLA/BONPs) were prepared by solution casting method and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, limiting oxygen index (LOI) and mechanical test. The particle size of boron oxide was reduced to nanosize using SPEX ball mill and boron oxide nanoparticles (BONPs) were functionalized with oleic acid, [3‐(trimethoxylsilyl) propylmethacrylate] and triethoxyvinylsilane (VS). Obtaining of nanosized and surface functionalized BONPs enhanced the crystallinity, mechanical, and flammability properties of PLA/BONPs. Compared with the neat PLA, crystallinity increased from 13.68% to 32.55% for 5 wt% VS functionalized BONPs added nanocomposite, tensile strength increased from 41.25 ± 0.80 MPa to 51.12 ± 2.54 MPa for 2.5 wt% VS functionalized BONPs added nanocomposite and LOI increased from 21.2 to 26.8 for 5 wt% VS functionalized BONPs added nanocomposite. Functionalized BONPs increased the thermal degradation temperature of nanocomposite slightly. With the enhanced mechanical and flammability properties PLA/BONPs nanocomposites are good candidate for packaging, electronic, and automotives industries.

Fluorescent Boron Oxide Nanodisks as Biocompatible Multi-messenger Sensors for Ultrasensitive Ni2+ Detection

“…23−25 Additionally, several B-containing nanocompounds have attracted great interest from researchers, such as the well-known hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), 26 rare-earth borides, 27 Kondo topological insulators, 27,28 or recently synthesized boron oxide nanoparticles, which have been proposed as additives to enhance electrochemical, 29 mechanical, and thermal properties in certain composite materials. 30 Despite the large interest in exploring and understanding all of these B-based nanostructures, experimental investigations in boron nanoscience are still relatively limited as compared to theoretical studies (with the exception of h-BN). 1 In particular, only a handful of works have reported the synthesis of B 2 O 3 nanoparticles so far because of a surprising lack of available synthetic methods.…”

“…Boron is a light chemical element able to form covalent-bonded molecular networks with a wide variety of structures . Bulk boron has been industrially employed in many different areas, such as high-density fuels, , protective coatings, semiconductors, , microelectronics, and refractory materials. , Furthermore, both elemental boron and its compounds have found interesting biomedical applications, especially in neutron capture therapy for cancer treatment in the currently under development field of nanomedicine. − When going down to the nanometric scale, boron-based nanomaterials appear in a wide variety of forms: nanoribbons, nanotubes, , nanowires, and nanofibers, − and the recently discovered borospherene , and borophene , that are B-based analogues of fullerene and graphene, respectively, as well as quasi-spherical nanoparticles (NPs), both crystalline and amorphous. − Additionally, several B-containing nanocompounds have attracted great interest from researchers, such as the well-known hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), rare-earth borides, Kondo topological insulators, , or recently synthesized boron oxide nanoparticles, which have been proposed as additives to enhance electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal properties in certain composite materials . Despite the large interest in exploring and understanding all of these B-based nanostructures, experimental investigations in boron nanoscience are still relatively limited as compared to theoretical studies (with the exception of h-BN) .…”