The structure of polypropylene-TiO2 organoinorganic nanocomposites prepared via solvent crazing

A method is developed for crazing-based production of mechanically strong hybrid polypropylene film composites containing amorphous titanium dioxide nanophase (up to similar to 30 wt %). As a whole, the morphology of the composite represents an interpenetrating network in which the inorganic component (TiO2) is distributed in the nanoporous structure of a polypropylene matrix. The structure and composition of amorphous titanium dioxide present an ensemble of TiO2 nanoparticles with a size of similar to 1 nm (20 wt %) included in a loose network of titanium oxopolymers (80 wt %) containing similar to 30 wt % side OC3H7 and OH groups bonded to titanium atoms.