Lee, SS Ma, YT Rhee, HW Kim, J 2024-01-21T05:13:32Z 2024-01-21T05:13:32Z 2021-09-03 2005-03-10 0032-3861 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/136647 Ethylene terephthalate cyclic oligomers (ETCs) have been successfully polymerized to a high molecular weight poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) employing the advantages of the low viscosity of cyclic oligomers and lack of chemical emissions during polymerization. Using ring-opening polymerization of ETCs with organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), we intend to ascertain the possibility of preparing high performance PET/clay nanocomposites. Due to the low molecular weight and viscosity, ETCs are successfully intercalated to the clay gallerys, what is evidenced by XRD showing a down-shift of basal plane peak of layered silicate along with TEM investigation. Subsequent ring-opening polymerization of ETCs in-between silicate layers yielded a PET matrix of high molecular weight along with high disruption of layered silicate structure and homogeneous dispersion of the latter in the matrix. Although co-existence of exfoliation and intercalation states of silicate layers after polymerization of ETCs rather than perfect exfoliation was observed, a dramatic increase in d-spacing along with fast polymerization presents us a great potential of cyclic oligomer process in producing a thermoplastic polymer-clay nanocomposites of extremely well-dispersed silicate nanoplatelets and the corresponding high performances. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. English ELSEVIER SCI LTD BLOCK-COPOLYMERS POLYMERIZATION TEREPHTHALATE) POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE) CRYSTALLIZATION ROUTE Exfoliation of layered silicate facilitated by ring-opening reaction of cyclic oligomers in PET-clay nanocomposites Article 10.1016/j.polymer.2005.01.006 1 POLYMER, v.46, no.7, pp.2201 - 2210 POLYMER 46 7 2201 2210 scie scopus 000227654500022 2-s2.0-14644438609 Polymer Science Polymer Science Article BLOCK-COPOLYMERS POLYMERIZATION TEREPHTHALATE) POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE) CRYSTALLIZATION ROUTE nanocomposite cyclic oligomer ring-opening polymerization