Influence of hybrid fibrils of 2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl) thiophene and halloysite nanotubes on the crystallization behaviour of polypropylene

Abstract

2,5-bis(2-benzoxazolyl) thiophene (BBT) included polypropylene (PP)/halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) composites showed substantially increased mechanical properties and this was attributed to the changed crystallinity of the PP matrix by BBT (Liu et al 2007 Nanotechnology 18 455703). This paper intends to give a detailed study on the influence of BBT hybrid fibrils on the crystallization of the PP matrix by using the observations of polarized optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy, together with the comparisons of the activation energy of crystallization. The POM results show that PP crystals could epitaxially grow on the BBT and hybrid fibril substrates, indicating the nucleating ability of BBT. Oriented PP ribbon-like crystals with a thickness of 200 nm around BBT fibrils are observed. The formation of this unique crystal morphology is attributed to the epitaxial crystallization under the shearing orientation effect. A new transition peak well above the glass transition of PP is observed, which is attributed to the glass transition of the confined amorphous PP in the ribbon-like crystal layers around the fibrils. The fold-surface free energy of the BBT included composites is substantially decreased, suggesting facilitated crystallization in the presence of hybrid fibrils.