Structural characterization and thermal and mechanical properties of poly(propylene carbonate)/MgAl-LDH exfoliation nanocomposite via solution intercalation

Poly(propylene carbonate)/MgAl layered double hydroxide (PPC/MgAl-LDH) exfoliated nanocomposites were synthesized by solution intercalation of PPC into the galleries of organic modified MgAl-LDH (OMgAl-LDH) in cyclohexanone. The crystal morphological structures, thermal degradation behavior, and mechanical properties have been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Xray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The nanoscale dispersion of OMgAl-LDH layers in the PPC matrix has been verified by the disappearance of do 0 1 XRD diffraction peak of OMgAl-LDH and the observation of TEM image. The TGA data give evince that the thermal degradation temperature of the exfoliated PPC/MgAl-LDH nanocomposites with 1% OMgAl-LDH is 10 degrees C higher than that of pure PPC resin when 20% weight loss was selected as a point of comparison. The data from the mechanical test show that the tensile strength of the PPC/MgAl-LDH nanocomposites with 5% LDH is 36.9 Wa, which is 72% and 30% higher than those of pure PPC resin and simple mixed sample with the same content of LDH, and its Young's modulus is 1303 MPa, which is 57% and 21% higher than those of the same two samples, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.