Poly(caprolactone)/clay masterbatches prepared in supercritical CO2 as efficient clay delamination promoters in poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

Laetitia Urbanczyk; Cédric Calberg; Samira Benali; Serge Bourbigot; Eliane Espuche; Fabrice Gouanvé; Philippe Dubois; Albert Germain; Christine Jérôme; Christophe Detrembleur; Michael Alexandre

doi:10.1039/B807357K

Poly(caprolactone)/clay masterbatches prepared in supercritical CO₂ as efficient clay delamination promoters in poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

Laetitia Urbanczyk,^a Cédric Calberg,^b Samira Benali,^c Serge Bourbigot,^d Eliane Espuche,^e Fabrice Gouanvé,^e Philippe Dubois,^cf Albert Germain,^b Christine Jérôme,^a Christophe Detrembleur*^a and Michael Alexandre^a

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^a Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), University of Liège, Sart-Tilman B6a, 4000 Liège, Belgium
E-mail: Christophe.Detrembleur@ulg.ac.be
Fax: +32 4366 3496
Tel: +32 4366 3465

^b Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman B6a, 4000 Liège, Belgium

^c Center of Innovation and Research in Material & Polymers CIRMAP, Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials, University of Mons-Hainaut, Académie Universitaire Wallonie-Bruxelles, Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium

^d Equipe Procédés d'Elaboration de Revêtements Fonctionnels, LSPES UMR-CNRS 8008, ENSCL, BP 90108, 59652 Villeuneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France

^e Laboratoire des Matériaux Polymères et des Biomatériaux, UMR 5223, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bât ISTIL, 15 Bd A. Latarjet, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

^f Materia Nova asbl, Parc Initialis, Av. Nicolas Copernic n°1, 7000 Mons, Belgium

Abstract

Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN)/clay nanocomposites with a high degree of clay exfoliation were prepared upon melt blending of pre-exfoliated poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/organoclay masterbatches in a Brabender-type internal mixer. These highly filled masterbatches were synthesized by a one-pot process using supercritical carbon dioxide as a polymerization medium. During their dispersion into SAN, PCL is expected to act as a compatibilizer at the polymer–clay interface as it is miscible with the host matrix under these conditions. Reference nanocomposites based on direct melt mixing of the commercial organoclay were also prepared for the sake of comparison. The superiority of the masterbatch route in term of clay delamination efficiency has been evidenced by XRD analysis, visual and TEM observations. The effect of the nanocomposite morphology on the polymer properties was then investigated. A substantial improvement of the fire behaviour and a decrease in gas permeability have been observed for the nanocomposite containing the highest level of clay exfoliation, accompanied with a higher brittleness as evidenced by traction and impact tests.

Journal of Materials Chemistry

Poly(caprolactone)/clay masterbatches prepared in supercritical CO₂ as efficient clay delamination promoters in poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

Abstract

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Poly(caprolactone)/clay masterbatches prepared in supercritical CO₂ as efficient clay delamination promoters in poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

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