The structure and mechanical properties of PBS, PCL and PBAT modified with Laponite

Rafał Malinowski, Volodymyr Krasinskyi, Oleksandr Grytsenko, Volodymyr Moravskyi, Daniel Kaczor, Magdalena Stepczyńska, Krzysztof Moraczewski

Pre-print pages 1-13

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62753/ctp.2024.04.4.4

keywords: biodegradable polymers, Laponite, composite, mechanical properties, extrusion

abstract An investigation into the effect of a synthetic variety of hectorite, i.e. Laponite (LAP), on changes in the structure and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is the aim of the present paper. Polymer composites containing 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% LAP were prepared using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. The mechanical properties (under static tension, static three-point bending and impact tests) were investigated. In addition, changes in adhesion at the phase boundary and the surface geometrical structure of the sample fractures were examined. It was found that the studied composites were characterized by a similar structure. Adhesion at the polymer-filler interface was very good for the PBAT and PCL-based composites and slightly worse for the PBS-based composites. The mechanical properties of the investigated polymers generally changed similarly. With the exception of the three-point bending tests, all the polymers exhibited deterioration in the mechanical properties after the addition of LAP. However, considering the results of the significance tests, it is important to note that some results did not differ significantly from one another.