Morphological, optical, and barrier properties of PP/MMT nanocomposites

In this work, nanocomposites of polypropylene (PP) and organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) were evaluated concerning optical, mechanical, and barrier properties. The nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding using a twin-screw extruder. The PP/MMT films were evaluated by measurements of oxygen and water vapor permeability, and to verify its efficiency as a barrier to ultraviolet radiation (by UV-Vis spectroscopy). MMT has demonstrated a high ability to improve the gas barrier properties of the PP. Furthermore, MMT showed optical efficiency acting as a UV absorber, and presented higher absorptions at wavelengths between 215 and 254 nm. These results suggest that these nanocomposite materials have great potential for applications such as films with superior properties for food packing.