Effect of different dispersing agents in the non-isothermal kinetics and thermomechanical behavior of PET/TiO2 composites

Abstract

This work is based on the analysis of the influence of dispersing agents on the non-isothermal kinetics, thermomechanical behavior and dispersing action of PET/TiO2 nanocomposites. The influence of two montanic waxes and an amide wax used as dispersing agents in the nucleating effect of the nanoparticles is studied. The dispersing agents are the following: a) a partly saponified ester of montanic acids (PSEMA), b) an ester of montanic acids with multifunctional alcohols (MAWMA) and c) an amide wax based on N,N '-Bisstearoyl ethylenediamine (AW). The non-isothermal kinetics based on the Avrami method revealed that MAWMA and PSEMA favors the nucleating effect of the nanoparticles when are included in PET. Birefringence microscopy points out the good dispersing capacity of MAWMA and AW and the termomechanical analysis confirmed that the ester of montanic acids with multifunctional alcohols MAWMA shows the best dispersing properties and best promotes the nucleating effect of the TiO2 nanoparticles when used for PET/TiO2 nanocomposites production