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Polypropylene‐POSS Nanocomposites: Morphology and Crystallization Behaviour
Author(s) -
Pracella Mariano,
Chionna Donatella,
Fina Alberto,
Tabuani Daniela,
Frache Alberto,
Camino Giovanni
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.200650209
Subject(s) - materials science , tacticity , crystallization , nucleation , polypropylene , nanocomposite , alkyl , differential scanning calorimetry , optical microscope , morphology (biology) , polymer , composite material , kinetics , scanning electron microscope , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , polymerization , chemistry , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , physics , genetics , quantum mechanics , biology , engineering
Nanocomposites of isotactic polypropylene (PP) with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) [RSiO 1,5 ] 8 having different alkyl substituents (R = methyl, isobutyl, isooctyl) were obtained by melt blending and analysed with electron microscopy, optical microscopy and DSC calorimetry. The influence of POSS structure on the morphological characteristics, the crystallization and melting behaviour of PP/POSS composites was investigated with varying the filler amount. The crystallization kinetics of the composites from the melt, examined both in isothermal and non‐isothermal conditions, demonstrated that the nucleation activity of the examined POSS can be related to the length of alkyl substituents which, depending on the loading amount, affect the filler dispersion in the PP matrix and the growth of polymer crystals.