Enhancing the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposite Films Based on Poly Lactic Acid/OMMT Nano Clay

S Mahendra Selvan,D Duraibabu,A Gnanaprakasam,S Ananda Kumar

doi:10.6000/2369-3355.2017.04.03.2

S Mahendra Selvan, D Duraibabu + Show 2 more

https://doi.org/10.6000/2369-3355.2017.04.03.2

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Abstract

Organic (PLA) inorganic (OMMT nano clay) hybrid nanocomposite films were fabricated using poly lactic acid (PLA) with various weight percentages (1-3wt%) of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) nano clay by means of one step solvent casting method. The thermal, mechanical and water absorption properties were determined as per standard testing methods to determine the optimum percentage loading of OMMT nano clay within the PLA-OMMT nanocomposite was investigated. The surface morphology of the organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposite films was analyzed through XRD, SEM, and TEM surface analytical techniques. The incorporation of OMMT clay in to PLA matrix is found to have enhanced the thermo-mechanical properties. The water absorption and solubility test results also support the data from thermo-mechanical tests. The 2 wt % OMMT clay loaded PLA films showed the best results among all. The obtained results showed that the thermal, mechanical and water absorption properties could be increased significantly with the optimum incorporation of OMMT nano clay in a PLA matrix, in comparision wih the neat PLA.

Highlights

Organic (PLA) inorganic (OMMT nano clay) hybrid nanocomposite films were fabricated using poly lactic acid (PLA) with various weight percentages (1-3wt%) of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) nano clay by means of one step solvent casting method
This could be due to the improper dispersion (Figure 6b) of higher weight percentage loaded OMMT nano clay of 3wt%, which led to agglomeration and subsequently cracks were initiated, and the cracks tend to propagate inside the agglomerated PLA matrix [27]
It was interesting to notice that the elongation at break has increased with an increase in the OMMT nano clay up to 2wt% corresponds to the maximum value at 37.17%, whereas the elongation at break for neat PLA film was found to be 1.32 % and 4.50% for system 'd' respectively (Table 2)