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Tapioca starch‐poly(lactic acid)‐Cloisite 30B nanocomposite foams
Author(s) -
Lee Siew Yoong,
Hanna Milford A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.20664
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , intercalation (chemistry) , differential scanning calorimetry , thermogravimetry , composite material , scanning electron microscope , starch , lactic acid , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , engineering , thermodynamics , genetics , biology , bacteria
Tapioca starch (TS), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and Cloisite 30B nanocomposite foams, with four clay contents of 1, 3, 5, 7 wt%, were prepared by a melt‐intercalation method. Selected structural, thermal, physical, and mechanical properties were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analyses, and an Instron universal testing machine, respectively. XRD results indicated that intercalation of TS/PLA into the nanoclay layers occurred in all four nanocomposite foams. At the same time, tactoid structures were observed in all nanocomposite foams but to a lesser extend with 1 and 3 wt% clay contents. Effect of clay content on melting temperature ( T m ), onset degradation temperature, radial expansion ratio, unit density, bulk compressibility and bulk spring index of the nanocomposites were investigated. Among the four nanocomposites, 3 wt% clay content produced significantly different ( p < 0.05) properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers