41. Thermal and rheological properties of biodegradable poly [(butylenesuccinate)-co-adipate] nanocomposites.

The thermal and rheological properties of clay-containing poly[(butylene succinate)-co-adipate] (PBSA) nanocomposites are reported. The nanocomposites of PBSA with various weight percentages of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) loadings have been prepared by melt-mixing in a batch-mixer. The melting and crystallization behaviours of PBSA and its nanocomposites have been studied using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The melt-state rheological properties of pure PBSA and its nanocomposites containing different amounts of OMMT have been studied in detail. The reason for this is that the rheological responses of any nanofilled polymeric materials are strongly related by their dispersed structure and the interfacial characteristic. Results show that the structural strength of all samples remains constant in the examined time interval at an experimental temperature. The dominant viscous behaviour of pure PBSA is getting suppressed up to a certain OMMT loading (4 wt.%). Nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% OMMT is showing almost “at the gel point” behaviour, suggesting that the material is behaving near the borderline between liquid and solid; while nanocomposite containing 6 wt.% OMMT is showing the gel character. The dispersed structure of the clay particles in the PBSA matrix was studied by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Results show that the stacked and intercalated silicate layers are nicely dispersed in the case of all nanocomposites. However, with a systematic increase in OMMT loading, the dispersed clay structure of the nanocomposites changes from a highly delaminated to a flocculated and then to a stackedintercalated structure. In the case of all nanocomposites, melt−state rheological properties are in good agreement with the STEM observations.