Poly(butylene succinate)/twice functionalized organoclay nanocomposites: Preparation, characterization, and properties

A new method was attempted to improve the interaction between poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and a commercially available organoclay, Cloisite 25A (C25A), by the addition of epoxy groups to the clay. Epoxy groups were grafted to C25A by a treatment with (glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxy silane to produce twice functionalized organoclay (TFC). Tethering PBS molecules to the epoxy groups on the surface of TFC was attempted through melt compounding. The morphological structure of the composites was analyzed with X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The higher degree of exfoliation of the silicate layers in PBS/TFC and the improved mechanical properties, in comparison with those of PBS/C25A, were attributed to the increased interfacial interaction between PBS and TFC. TFC accelerated the crystallization of PBS more effectively than C25A, and this indicated that TFC was more efficacious for the nucleation than C25A. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.