Abstract
The incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) molecules as nanoparticles into polymers can provide improved physico-chemical properties. The enhancement depends on the extent of dispersion of the nanofiller, which is determined by the compatibility with the polymer that is by the POSS type, and the processing method. In this study, poly(ε-caprolactone)/POSS derivatives nanocomposites (PCL/POSS) were obtained via solution-casting and melt compounding. Two amino-derivatives containing different alkyl substituents, and ditelechelic POSS-containing hybrid PCL masterbatch were used as nanofillers. The effect of preparation method, POSS content and type on the morphology, thermal, mechanical, and surface properties of nanocomposites were studied. Morphological analysis evidenced the formation of POSS crystalline aggregates, self-assembled POSS molecules of submicrometer size dispersed in the polymer matrix. The best dispersion was achieved using the ditelechelic POSS-containing hybrid PCL masterbatch, and comparing the two amino-POSS derivatives, the one with longer alkyl chain of substituents exhibited better degree of dispersion independent of preparation method. DSC analysis showed the role of POSS derivatives as nucleating agents for PCL. The incorporation of POSS derivatives into the PCL matrix improved thermal stability. The preparation method, POSS type and content had influence on mechanical properties of nanocomposites. POSS nanoparticles enhanced the surface hydrophobicity of PCL.
Highlights
In recent years, the growing problem of waste disposal has sparked a great interest in biodegradable polymers [1,2,3,4]
The morphology and the state of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) dispersion in the PCL matrix were observed with the complementary techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Diffrattograms of PCL/APIBPOSS nanocomposites, those peaks remained invariant in comparison with the PCL homopolymer, indicating that the crystalline structure of PCL was unaffected by the presence of POSS
Summary
The growing problem of waste disposal has sparked a great interest in biodegradable polymers [1,2,3,4]. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is one of the most attractive biodegradable synthetic polymers due to its commercial availability, biodegradability, and compatibility with different forms of waste disposal and excellent physico-mechanical properties [5]. PCL, a semicrystalline linear aliphatic thermoplastic polyester synthetized by the ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone, exhibits good flexibility, non-toxicity, hydrophobicity, low melting point (58–60 ◦ C) and glass-transition temperature (−60 ◦ C), ease of processing, and compatibility with a range of other polymers [6,7,8]. PCL has found extensive applications as commodity and biomedical materials, and for agricultural uses [7,9,10,11], as a substitute material for non-biodegradable polymers. Using nanoparticles significantly improved the properties of PCL [12,13]
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