Abstract
This contribution concerns preparation and characterization of polypropylene (PP)/poly(trimethylene terephtha- late) (PTT) melt-mixed blends in the presence of organically-modified montmorillonite nanoclays and functional compati- bilizers. Immiscibility and nanocomposite formation were confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. An intercalated structure was observed by wide angle X-ray diffraction technique. Crystallization, and melting characteristics were studied by differential scanning calorimetry in both isothermal and non-isothermal modes, supplemented by temperature modu- lated DSC (TMDSC). A concurrent crystallization was found for both polymeric components in the blends. Whereas blend- ing favored PP crystallizability, it interrupted that of PTT. The addition compatibilizers interfered with rate, temperature, and degree of crystallization of PP and PTT. On the contrary, nanoclays incorporation increased crystallizability of each individual component. However, as for blend nanocomposite samples, the way the crystallization behavior changed was established to depend on the type of nanoclay. Based on kinetic analysis, isothermal crystallization nucleation followed athermal mechanism, while that of non-isothermal obeyed thermal mode. Addition of nanoclays shifted nucleation mecha- nism from athermal to thermal mode.
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