Influence of a non-polar medium (alkane and molten polypropylene) on the titanium n-butoxide hydrolysis-condensation reactions

Study of hydrolysis-condensation reactions of titanium n-butoxide precursor into an unusual medium and non-classical conditions was carried out. Kinetic data were reached in a temperature range of 130–250°C from FTIR, TGA–GC–MS and rheological techniques. These results were obtained into an alkane dispersing medium, (Squalane: 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosane), and compared to the ones determined from the hydrolysis-condensation reactions of the titanium dioxide precursor carried in molten polypropylene (PP) during extrusion process. The transposition of these knowledge to the in situ synthesis of titanium dioxide in molten PP matrix by reactive extrusion lead to the formation of a fine dispersion of few nanometer diameter (~5 nm) of TiO₂ particles. Finally, the viscoelastic behaviour of the nanocomposite has been strongly altered in the terminal relaxation zone as permanent secondary plateau (solid-like behavior), attributed to some fractal arrangement of the inorganic domains was observed.