Effect of Alkyl Chain Length in POSS Nanocage on Non-Isothermal Crystallization Behavior of PCL/Amino-POSS Nanocomposites

Abstract

The study of the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of polymers is of great importance due to the effect of degree of crystallinity and crystallization process on the polymer properties. The effect of aminopropylisobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (APIBPOSS) and aminopropylisooctyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (APIOPOSS) on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) crystallization is studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal conditions and polarized optical microscopy (POM). The crystallization kinetics is analyzed using the Avrami and Mo models, and effective activation energies are evaluated by the Friedman isoconversional method. The results show that the compatibility between polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and PCL and POSS loading affect the crystallization process. A higher crystallization temperature, a narrower size distribution of crystallite, and a faster crystallization rate are obtained in the presence of all the studied contents of APIBPOSS and at lower contents of APIOPOSS. At APIOPOSS contents higher than 2 wt %, the crystallization temperature is lowered, the size distribution of crystallite is broadened, and the crystallization process is retarded. The presence of POSS leads to an increase in the number of nucleation sites, and a reduction in the size of the crystallite and the overall degree of crystallinity, as a result of the confinement of PCL chains caused by POSS nanoparticles.

Antibacterial Textile Based on Hydrolyzed Milk Casein

“…The endothermal melting peak at 163.8 °C was also not shifted, but it shows a small significant shoulder on its left side after the addition of hydrolyzed casein. This can be related to the previous result regarding the crystallization peak; since the kinetics the formation of nuclei and the growth of the crystals are affected by adding hydrolyzed casein, the semi-crystalline structure of the PP may be changed, and thus the melting (relaxation) process occurs differently from one region to other (at the scale of the crystals) within the blend [ 58 ]. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that this small shoulder is not observable during the first heating ramp ( Figure S5 in Supplementary Materials ).…”

Effect of POSS-Modified Montmorillonite on Thermal, Mechanical, and Electrical Properties of Unsaturated Polyester Nanocomposites

“…The incorporated organic functional group attached to POSS moiety execute a vital role in modifying MMT and exfoliating the structure [22,23]. Recent reports have inferred the role of POSS as a nanofiller reinforcement in enhancing the thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the polymer [24][25][26][27][28][29]. POSS possess the affinity to organically attach with other nanofillers to achieve superior interaction with the UP matrix [30,31].…”