Nonisothermal crystallization behavior of melt-intercalated polyethylene-clay nanocomposites

The influence of nanoclay particles on the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of intercalated polyethylene (PE) prepared by melt-compounding was investigated. It is observed that the crystallization peak temperature (T-p) of PE/clay nanocomposites is slightly but consistently higher than the neat PE at various cooling rates. The half-time (to.,g) for crystallization decreased with increase in clay content, implying the nucleating role of nanoclay particles. The nonisothermal crystallization data are analyzed using the approach of Avrami (Polymer 1971, 12, 150), Ozawa (Polym Eng Sci 1997, 37, 443), and Mo and coworkers (J Res Natl Bur Stand 1956, 57, 217), and the validity of the different kinetic models to the nonisothermal crystallization process of PE/clay nanocomposites is discussed. The approach developed by Mo and coworkers successfully explains the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PE and PE/clay nanocomposites. The activation energy for nonisothermal crystallization of neat PE and PE/clay nanocomposites is determined using the Kissinger (J Res Natl Bur Stand 1956, 57, 217) method. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.