Characterization of Nanocomposites of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) blending with Organoclay

Nanocomposites of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) with montmorillonite (MMT) nanoparticles were prepared via solution blending. Natural MMT was modified by octadecylamine (ODA). Intercalation of the organoclay in the PBAT matrix was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results from scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the surface morphology of nanocomposite of PBAT/ODA-modified MMT was smoother than that of PBAT/neat MMT. From the results of transmission electron microscope (TEM), the dispersion of ODA-modified MMT in the PBAT matrix was finer than that of neat MMT. The addition of organoclay can increase the cooling crystallization temperature of PBAT, as observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, the addition of ODA-modified MMT can improve the thermal stability of PBAT nanocomposites, according to the results of thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The tensile strength was little affected, while the Young's modulus was increased with the clay content. The photo degradation and the hydrolysis of PBAT were reduced by the addition of MMT and ODA-modified MMT. Although the hydrophilicity was increased, the transmission of water vapor was reduced greatly by the addition of ODA-modified MMT.