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Effect of PEG on PLA/PEG blend and its nanocomposites: A study of thermo‐mechanical and morphological characterization
Author(s) -
Mohapatra Aswini Kumar,
Mohanty S.,
Nayak S.K.
Publication year - 2014
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.22660
Subject(s) - materials science , differential scanning calorimetry , thermogravimetric analysis , nanocomposite , dynamic mechanical analysis , organoclay , peg ratio , ultimate tensile strength , glass transition , composite material , miscibility , ethylene glycol , thermal stability , tensile testing , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , polymer , finance , economics , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
In this study, the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the preparation of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/PEG blend and its nanocomposites by melt intercalation method were investigated. The PEG having molecular weight of 6,000 g/mol used with various concentrations (0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 wt%) in the preparation of PLA/PEG blend. Again, two types of commercialized organoclay [cloisite 93A (C93A) and cloisite 30B (C30B)] were used for the preparation of blend nanocomposites. With the incorporation of PEG into PLA the tensile strength and modulus decreases, whereas the percentage elongation and impact strength increases predominantly. Further, the PLA/PEG blend nanocomposites showed improved tensile strength and modulus with the addition of oraganoclays into the blend. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the surface and miscibility study of the PLA/PEG blend. The effect of clay interaction in the PLA/PEG blend nanocomposites were also studied by using wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to investigate the viscoelastic behavior of the blends and its nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study reveals decreased glass transition temperature in case of PLA/PEG blend. The thermal stability of the blend and its nanocomposites were being studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). POLYM. COMPOS., 35:283–293, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers