Effects of Processing Parameters and Nanofillers on Mechanical and Thermal Properties and Morphology of Impact Modified
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Effects of Processing Parameters and Nanofillers on Mechanical and Thermal Properties and Morphology of Impact Modified Poly (lactic acid)
Eda Acik and Ulku Yilmazer Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University 06800, Ankara, Turkey ABSTRACT Ternary nanocomposites of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) were produced by melt blending with two types of elastomers and five types of organoclays to obtain improved mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus and impact strength. One of the elastomers is a random copolymer of ethylene and glycidyl methacrylate (E-GMA) and the other one is a random terpolymer of ethylene-butyl acrylate-maleic anhydride (E-BA-MAH). Organically modified montmorillonites (OMMT) were utilized as nanofillers. XRD, DSC, tensile and impact tests were done on the injection molded samples. FTIR, SEM and TEM analyses are still in progress. As preliminary results, thermal analysis showed that the addition of compatibilizers and organoclays does not have a distinct effect on the thermal properties of the composites, and no evidence of nucleation activity of compatibilizers or organoclays was found. For all types of organoclays, the nanocomposites produced with E-GMA exhibited better mechanical properties in comparison to nanocomposites containing E-BA-MAH, especially for the impact strength. INTRODUCTION Development of polymeric materials is based on obtaining durable structures possessing the required mechanical properties with low cost and easy processability. This goal is fairly achieved with petroleum based polymers, but in the last decades environmental concerns raised the issue of alternative materials. Biodegradable polymers have the potential to provide a solution to the solid waste problem associated with the decreasing availability of landfills and global warming caused by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere [1]. High strength and high modulus of PLA makes it very attractive among many other biopolymers, but its intrinsic brittleness limits its industrial applications. In order to obtain desired mechanical properties and impact resistance, compounding PLA with biodegradable and/or non-biodegradable fillers and plasticizers, or blending of PLA with other polymers are the principal routes that have been followed. Particularly, improving impact toughness through melt blending with flexible polymers is an easy-to-apply and promising approach. Nanocomposite technology is also a well-known approach to improve material properties for some decades. One of the most successful and economic ways to produce nanocomposites is the utilization of layered silicates. Layered silicates are lighter in weight compared to conventional composites, and they exhibit outstanding barrier properties. In this study, the main objective is to make use of nanocomposite technology by utilizing different organoclays together with melt blending PLA with flexible polymers that are expected to act also as compatibilizers, and to improve the mechanical properties of PLA.
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