Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) nanocomposite fibers comprising different organoclays: Thermomechanical properties and morphology

Abstract

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization at high temperature with two thermally stable organoclays: 1,2-dimethylhexadecylimidazolium-montmorillonite (IMD-MMT) and dodecyltriphenyl phosphonium-MMT (C 12 PPh-MMT). PTT hybrid fibers with various organoclay contents were melt-spun at various draw ratios (DRs) to produce monofilaments. The thermomechanical properties and morphologies of the PTT hybrid fibers were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and mechanical tensile properties analysis. The nanostructure of the hybrid fibers was observed by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, which showed that the clay layers were well dispersed into the matrix polymer, although some clusters or agglomerated particles were also detected. Unlike the hybrids containing IMD-MMT, the clay layers of the C 12 PPh-MMT hybrid fiber were more dispersed into the matrix polymer. The thermal stability and tensile properties of the hybrid fibers increased with increasing clay content for DR ¼ 1. However, as DR increased from 1 to 9 the ultimate strength and initial modulus of the hybrid fibers with IMD-MMT increased slightly whereas those of C 12 PPh-MMT hybrid fibers decreased slightly.

Polypropylene multifilament yarn filled with clay and/or graphite: Study of a potential synergy

“…In 2002, the use of nanoclays has emerged as an interesting way for developing multifunctional textiles when polyamide‐6 clay nanocomposite multifilament yarns were produced by Bourbigot et al6 Indeed, the authors demonstrated a decrease of about 40% of the heat release rate (HRR) of knitted structures made with polyamide‐6 nanocomposite compared to the virgin polyamide. Many researchers were therefore interested in the development of nanocomposite fibers based on several polymer matrices such as polyamide‐6 (PA‐6),7–9 polybutylene terephtalate (PBT),10–12 polytrimethylene terephtalate (PTT),13–15 polyethylene terephtalate (PET),14, 16, 17–20 polylactide (PLA),21, 22 polyethylene (PE)23, 24 or polyimideamide (PIA) 25, 26…”

In‐situ synthesis of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/clay nanocomposites using TiO2/SiO2 sol‐intercalated montmorillonite as polycondensation catalyst

“…But the organic modifier must have excellent thermal stability due to the high temperature (usually up to 2808C) that it has to withstand during the synthesis and process of PET. Many efforts have been done to search thermal stable MMT organic modifiers [5,8,26,29,[32][33][34][35][36][37], for alkyl ammonium cations, which are usually used in nylon/clay nanocomposites, have been proved unsuitable for the synthesis of PET/MMT composites. The decomposition of alkyl ammonium cations under high temperature not only alters the interface between the filler and the matrix polymer, but also induces the degradation of the polyester, resulting in deteriorated properties and undesirable color [38][39][40].…”

Effect of Organoclay Platelets on Crystallization of Polytrimethylene Terephthalate/Polyethylene-octene-g-maleic Anhydride Blends: Isothermal Crystallization

“…[5,6] Due to some advanced properties, such as enhanced tensile and flexural strength, and thermal and barrier properties, a number of studies on PTT matrix have been carried out. [7][8][9][10][11] The crystallization of PTT matrix blends has also been reported, such as PTT/PC, [12] PTT/PEI, [13] and PTT/ABS. [14] Liu et al [15] successfully prepared PTT/clay nanocomposite via meltblending, and the results suggest that the introduction of nanosize clay layers accelerates the crystallization rate of PTT.…”