Preparation of PET nanocomposites: Dispersion of nanoparticles and thermal properties

Abstract

The development of polymer/inorganic nanocomposites has attracted a great deal of interest due to the improved hybrid properties derived from the two different components. Various nanoscale filters have been used to enhance polymer mechanical and thermal properties, such as toughness, stiffness, and heat resistance. The effects of the filter on the final properties of the nanocomposites are highly dependent on the filter shape, particle size, aggregate size, surface characteristics, polymer/inorganic interactions, and degree of dispersion. In this paper, we describe the influence of different CaCO3 dispersion methods on the thermal properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET/CaCO3 composites; i.e., the adsorption of CaCO3 on the modified PET surface, and the hydrophobic modification of the hydrophilic CaCo3 nanocomposites using a twin-screw extruder, and investigated their thermal properties and morphology.