Premium
Crystallization, morphology, and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate)/poly(ethylene oxide)‐polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Zhou Weihua,
Yuan Shuaishuai,
Tan Licheng,
Chen Yiwang,
Huang Yulan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.23160
Subject(s) - materials science , silsesquioxane , nanocomposite , crystallization , nucleation , ethylene oxide , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , oxide , morphology (biology) , glass transition , isothermal process , polymer , composite material , copolymer , organic chemistry , chemistry , genetics , thermodynamics , physics , metallurgy , biology , engineering
The biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/poly(ethylene oxide)‐polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PEO‐POSS) nanocomposites were prepared by the solution blending and melt‐injection methods. The effect of PEO‐POSS on the non‐isothermal and isothermal crystallization, morphology, as well as mechanical properties of PBS was carefully investigated. The PEO‐POSS nanoparticles dispersed well in the PBS matrix, with the diameters around 30 nm. From isothermal crystallization analysis, the incorporation of PEO‐POSS enhanced the crystallization of PBS due to the heterogeneous nucleation effect while the crystal structure of PBS remained. PBS/PEO‐POSS nanocomposites showed of higher glass transition temperatures than that of neat PBS, attributing to the existence of PEO‐POSS decreasing the flexibility of PBS chains. The elongation at break of the PBS/PEO‐POSS nanocomposites reached the maximum value with PEO‐POSS content of 5 wt%. However, the elastic modulus of PBS decreased after the incorporation of PEO‐POSS. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers