Poly(butylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposites prepared by in-situ bulk polymerization with cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate)

The PBT/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared with cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) oligomers and organically modified clay via in-situ bulk polymerization. Dispersion of the clay layers in the PBT nanocomposites was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was studied by thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA). These results indicate that organoclay has been dispersed homogeneously in the PBT matrix, and the nanocomposites with intercalated-exfoliated structure were synthesized via this method. The onset degradation temperature of the nanocomposites was increased by 8-10 degrees C compared with the PBT homopolymer without any clay. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.