Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/clay nanocomposites with trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane as dispersant : simultaneously enhanced reinforcing and stabilizing effects

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach for the preparation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/clay nanocomposites using surfactant-free clay (sodium montmorillonite, Na-MMT) with trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (Tsp-POSS) as dispersant. The dispersion of clay in the PET/Na-MMT/Tsp-POSS nanocomposites is enhanced over that in PET/Na-MMT by using a very small amount of Tsp-POSS, which acts as functional spacer to keep clay platelets apart and pull monomers in, and, at the same time, acts as a PET chain extender. As a result, thermomechanical properties and thermo-oxidative stability of PET/Na-MMT/Tsp-POSS are improved simultaneously compared with those of PET/organoclay nanocomposites.