Thermal and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate) nanocomposites with various organo‐modified montmorillonites

Nanocomposites based on biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and layered silicates were prepared by melt intercalation. Nonmodified montmorillonite (MMT) and MMTs (DA‐M, ODA‐M, ALA‐M, LEA‐M, and HEA‐M) organo‐modified by protonated ammonium cations {i.e., those of dodecylamine, octadecylamine, 12‐aminolauric acid, N‐lauryldiethanolamine, and 1‐[N,N‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)amino]‐2‐propanol, respectively} were used as layered silicates. From morphological studies using transmission electron microscopy, DA‐M, ODA‐M, and LEA‐M were found to be dispersed homogeneously in the matrix polymer, whereas some clusters or agglomerated particles were observed for ALA‐M, HEA‐M, and MMT. The enlargement of the difference in the interlayer spacing between the clay and PBS/clay composite, as measured by X‐ray diffraction, had a good correlation with the improvement of the clay dispersion and with the increase in the tensile modulus and the decrease in the tensile strength of the PBS composites with an inorganic concentration of 3 wt %. Dynamic viscoelastic measurements of the PBS/LEA‐M nanocomposite revealed that the storage modulus and glass‐transition temperature increased with the inorganic concentration (3–10 wt %). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1463–1475, 2004     

Thermal and mechanical properties of photocured organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites of terpene‐based acrylate resin and methacrylate‐substituted polysilsesquioxane

Diacrylate compounds derived from α‐pinene and limonene (TDAs: TDA‐1 and TDA‐2) were photocured with methacryl‐substituted polysilsesquioxane (ME‐PSQ) prepared from 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) in the TDA/ME‐PSQ weight ratio of 20 : 0, 20 : 1, 20 : 2, 20 : 3, and 20 : 4. All the photocured TDA/ME‐PSQ hybrid nanocomposites became transparent. The thermomechanical analysis of the cured TDA/ME‐PSQ revealed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) increased, the thermal expansion coefficient above T_g decreased with increasing ME‐PSQ content, and that the TDA‐1/ME‐PSQ had ca. 30°C greater T_g than the TDA‐2/ME‐PSQ with the same ME‐PSQ content. Also, the dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the TDA‐1/ME‐PSQ had much greater storage modulus at around 150°C than the corresponding TDA‐2/ME‐PSQ. The flexural strength and modulus of the TDA/ME‐PSQ nanocomposites at 20°C had maximum at ME‐PSQ content 4.8 and 13.0 wt %, respectively. As a whole, the thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were improved by the addition of ME‐PSQ, and those of TDA‐1/ME‐PSQ nanocomposites were superior to those of TDA‐2/ME‐PSQ. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Radiation‐induced crosslinking and mechanical properties of blends of poly(lactic acid) and poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐adipate)

Blends of poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly (butylene terephthalate‐co‐adipate) (PBTA) were prepared at ratios of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 80 : 20 by melt blending in a Laboplastomill. Improved mechanical properties were observed in PLLA when it was blended with PBTA, a biodegradable flexible polymer. Irradiation of these blends with an electron beam (EB) in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC), a polyfunctional monomer, did not cause any significant improvement in the mechanical properties, although the gel fraction increased with the TAIC level and dose level. Irradiation of the blends without TAIC led to a reduction in the elongation at break (E_b) but did not show a significant effect on the tensile strength. E_b of PBTA was unaffected by EB radiation in the absence of TAIC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Crosslinking and biodegradation of poly(butylene succinate) prepolymers containing itaconic or maleic acid units in the main chain

Poly(butylene succinate)‐based prepolymers containing itaconic acid units or maleic acid units in the main chain were synthesized through the condensation reaction of 1,4‐butanediol, succinic acid, and itaconic acid or maleic acid. The resulting prepolymers, with weight‐average molecular weights in the several thousands, were cured at 115°C with benzoyl peroxide to produce crosslinked polyesters that were insoluble in chloroform. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the glass‐transition temperature rose with crosslinking and that the melting temperature and heat of melting decreased with crosslinking. These results implied that crosslinking was successfully carried out and that the crystallinity of the polymer decreased. The crosslinked polymer showed lower biodegradability in the biochemical oxygen demand assay with activated sludge but retained some biodegradability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 1473–1480, 2005     

Thermal and mechanical properties of plasticized poly(L‐lactide) nanocomposites with organo‐modified montmorillonites

Nanocomposites of poly(lactide) (PLA) and the PLA plasticized with diglycerine tetraacetate (PL‐710) and ethylene glycol oligomer containing organo‐modified montmorillonites (ODA‐M and PGS‐M) by the protonated ammonium cations of octadecylamine and poly(ethylene glycol) stearylamine were prepared by melt intercalation method. In the X‐ray diffraction analysis, the PLA/ODA‐M and plasticized PLA/ODA‐M composites showed a clear enlargement of the difference of interlayer spacing between the composite and clay itself, indicating the formation of intercalated nanocomposite. However, a little enlargement of the interlayer spacing was observed for the PLA/PGS‐M and plasticized PLA/PGS‐M composites. From morphological studies using transmission electron microscopy, a finer dispersion of clay was observed for PLA/ODA‐M composite than PLA/PGS‐M composite and all the composites using the plasticized PLA. The PLA and PLA/PL‐710 composites containing ODA‐M showed a higher tensile strength and modulus than the corresponding composites with PGS‐M. The PLA/PL‐710 (10 wt %) composite containing ODA‐M showed considerably higher elongation at break than the pristine plasticized PLA, and had a comparable tensile modulus to pure PLA. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the composites decreased with increasing plasticizer. The addition of the clays did not cause a significant increase of T_g. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Catalyzed chain extension of poly(butylene adipate) and poly(butylene succinate) with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline)

Low‐molecular‐weight HOOC‐terminated poly(butylene adipate) prepolymer (PrePBA) and poly(butylene succinate) prepolymer (PrePBS) were synthesized through melt‐condensation polymerization from adipic acid or succinic acid with butanediol. The catalyzed chain extension of these prepolymers was carried out at 180–220°C with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline) as a chain extender and p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TSA) as a catalyst. Higher molecular weight polyesters were obtained from the catalyzed chain extension than from the noncatalyzed one. However, an improperly high amount of p‐TSA and a high temperature caused branching or a crosslinking reaction. Under optimal conditions, chain‐extended poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) with a number‐average molecular weight up to 29,600 and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.82 dL/g were synthesized. The chain‐extended polyesters were characterized by IR spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and tensile testing. DSC, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and thermogravimetric analysis characterization showed that the chain‐extended PBA and PBS had lower melting temperatures and crystallinities and slower crystallization rates and were less thermally stable than PrePBA and PrePBS. This deterioration of their properties was not harmful enough to impair their thermal processing properties and should not prevent them from being used as biodegradable thermoplastics. The tensile strength of the chain‐extended PBS was about 31.05 MPa. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Biodegradable poly(ethylene succinate) blends and copolymers containing minor amounts of poly(butylene succinate)

Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), and PES‐rich copolyesters were synthesized using an effective catalyst, titanium tetraisopropoxide. PES was blended with minor amounts of PBS for the comparison. The compositions of the copolyesters and the blends were determined from NMR spectra. Their thermal properties were studied using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), a temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC), and a thermogravimetric analyzer. No significant difference exists among the thermal stabilities of these polyesters and blends. For the blends, the reversible curves of TMDSC showed a distinct glass‐rubber transition temperature (T_g), however, the variation of the T_g values with the blend compositions was small. Isothermal crystallization kinetics and the melting behavior after crystallization were examined using DSC. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffractograms (WAXD) were obtained for the isothermally crystallized specimens. The results of DSC and WAXD indicate that the blends have a higher degree of crystallinity and a higher melting temperature than those of the corresponding copolymers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Nanocomposites based on poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) and montmorillonite

Nanocomposites based on biodegradable poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) and layered silicates were prepared by the melt intercalation method. Nonmodified montmorillonite (MMT) and organo‐modified MMTs (DA‐M, ODA‐M, and LEA‐M) by the protonated ammonium cations of dodecylamine, octadecylamine, and N‐lauryldiethanolamine, respectively, were used as the layered silicates. The comparison of interlayer spacing between clay and PBAT composites with inorganic content 3 wt % measured by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the formation of intercalated nanocomposites in DA‐M and LEA‐M. In case of PBAT/ODA‐M (3 wt %), no clear peak related to interlayer spacing was observed. From morphological studies using transmission electron microscopy, the ODA‐M was found to be finely and homogeneously dispersed in the matrix polymer, indicating the formation of exfoliated nanocomposite. When ODA‐M content was increased, the XRD peak related to intercalated clay increased. Although the exfoliated ODA‐M (3 wt %) nanocomposite showed a lower tensile modulus than the intercalated DA‐M and LEA‐M (3 wt %) composites, the PBAT/ODA‐M composite with inorganic content 5 wt % showed the highest tensile modulus, strength, and elongation at break among the PBAT composites with inorganic content 5 wt %. Their tensile properties are discussed in relation to the degree of crystallinity of the injection molded samples. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 386–392, 2005     

Thermal and mechanical properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone) crosslinked with γ radiation in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate

Poly(?‐caprolactone) was crosslinked by γ radiation in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate. The influence of γ‐radiation crosslinking on the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(?‐caprolactone)/triallyl isocyanurate was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses showed differences between the first and second scans. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed an increase in the glass‐transition temperature as a result of the radiation crosslinking of poly(?‐caprolactone). Thermogravimetric analysis showed that γ‐radiation crosslinking slightly improved the thermal stability of poly(?‐caprolactone). The γ radiation also strongly influenced the mechanical properties. At room temperature, crosslinking by radiation did not have a significant influence on the Young's modulus and yield stress of poly(?‐caprolactone). However, the tensile strength at break and the elongation at break generally decreased with an increase in the crosslinking level. When the temperature was increased above the melting point, the tensile strength at break, elongation at break, and Young's modulus of poly(?‐caprolactone) were also reduced with an increase in the crosslinking level. The yield stress disappeared as a result of the disappearance of the crystallites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2676–2681, 2007     

Crystallization behavior of partially crosslinked poly(β‐hydroxyalkonates)/poly(butylene succinate) blends

Partially crosslinked poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐β‐hydroxyvalerate)/poly(butylene succinate) (PHBV/PBS) and poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate)/poly(butylene succinate) (PHB/PBS) blends were prepared by melt compounding with dicumyl peroxide. The effect of partial crosslinking on crystallization of the PHBV/PBS and PHB/PBS blends was investigated systematically. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the overall crystallization rates of both PHBV and PBS in their blends were enhanced considerably by the partial crosslinking. Similar results were also detected in the PHB/PBS blends. The polarized optical microscope observation displayed that the nuclei density of PHBV was increased while the spherulitic morphology did not change much. Conversely, the PBS spherulites turned into cloud‐like morphology after the partial crosslinking which is a result of the decrease in spherulite size, the reduction in interspherulite distance and the interconnection of fine PBS domains. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction patterns confirmed the enhancement in crystallization of the PHBV/PBS blends after the partial crosslinking without modification on crystalline forms of the PHBV and PBS components. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41020.     

Thermal conductivity and dynamic mechanical property of glycidyl methacrylate‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites

The well dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/epoxy composites were prepared by functionalization of the MWCNT surfaces with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The morphology and thermal properties of the epoxy nanocomposites were investigated and compared with the surface characteristics of MWCNTs. GMA‐grafted MWCNTs improved the dispersion and interfacial adhesion in epoxy resin, and enhanced the network structure. The storage modulus of 3 phr GMA‐MWCNTs/epoxy composites at 50°C increased from 0.32 GPa to 2.87 GPa (enhanced by 799%) and the increased tanδ from 50.5°C to 61.7°C (increased by 11.2°C) comparing with neat epoxy resin, respectively. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of 3 phr GMA‐MWCNTs/epoxy composite is increased by 183%, from 0.2042 W/mK (neat epoxy) to 0.5781 W/mK. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐butylene terephthalate)/layered‐silicate nanocomposites

The biodegradability of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐butylene terephthalate) (PBAT) and PBAT/starch composites with layered silicates prepared by melt intercalation was evaluated with aerobic biodegradability tests in soil and in an aqueous medium containing activated sludge. Nonmodified montmorillonite (MMT) and octadecylamine‐modified montmorillonite (ODA‐M), known to give a microcomposite and an intercalated nanocomposite for PBAT, respectively, were used as layered silicates. After they were buried in the soil for 8 months, the PBAT/MMT microcomposite exhibited a higher weight loss than the control PBAT, whereas the PBAT/ODA‐M nanocomposite showed a lower weight loss instead. Also, the biodegradability test in the aqueous medium, by determining the biochemical oxygen demand, showed that the addition of MMT and/or starch to PBAT promoted biodegradation, whereas the addition of ODA‐M did not. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene succinate) and its copolyesters containing minor amounts of butylene succinate

Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) and its copolyesters that contain 7, 10, or 48 mol % butylene succinate (BS) were synthesized through a direct polycondensation reaction with titanium tetraisopropoxide as the catalyst. Measurements of intrinsic viscosity (1.08–1.27 dL/g) proved the success of the preparation of polyesters with high molecular weights. The compositions and the sequence distributions of the copolyesters were determined from ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The distributions of ethylene succinate and BS units were found to be random. Their thermal properties were elucidated using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a thermogravimetric analyzer. No significant difference exists among the thermal stabilities of these polyesters. All of the copolymers exhibit a single glass transition temperature. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffractograms (WAXD) were obtained from polyesters that were crystallized isothermally. The DSC thermograms and WAXD patterns indicate that the incorporation of BS units into PES significantly inhibits the crystallization behavior of PES. The heat of fusion of ideal PES crystals is 163 J/g, as determined by the depression of the melting point of PES crystals in acetophenone. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis and characteristics of biodegradable copolyesters from the transesterification of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐succinate) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐succinate) (PBAS), an aliphatic polyester, is known for its excellent biodegradability, but its physical and mechanical properties are poor. To improve the physical properties, stiff aromatic rings were added to PBAS through transesterification with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). New biodegradable copolyesters were prepared by the intermolecular ester‐exchange reactions between molten PBAS and PET. The transesterification reaction was carried out at 280°C without a catalyst. The newly synthesized copolyesters were characterized with ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The mechanical properties were measured with a universal test machine, and the biodegradability was also investigated. By the new peaks appearing in ¹H‐NMR spectra of the copolyesters, the occurrence of the transesterification reaction between PBAS and PET was confirmed. A reduction of the melting temperature was observed for the copolyesters. The elongations at break of the new copolyesters increased for all compositions and reaction times, in comparison with PBAS. However, the tensile strength decreased with the induction of terephthalate units in the copolyesters. The biodegradability of the copolyesters also depended on the number of terephthalate units. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3266–3274, 2004     

Biodegradable poly(L‐lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate) blends: Miscibility,morphology, and thermal behavior

Blends of two biodegradable and semicrystalline polymers, poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate) (PBSA), were prepared by solvent casting in different compositions. The miscibility, morphology, and thermal behavior of the blends were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. PLLA was found to be immiscible with PBSA as evidenced by two independent glass transitions and biphasic melt. Nonisothermal crystallization measurements showed that fractionated crystallization behavior occurred when PBSA was dispersed as droplets, evidenced by multiple crystallization peaks at different supercooling levels. Crystallization and morphology of the blends were also investigated through two‐step isothermal crystallization. For blends where PLLA was the major component, different content of PBSA did not make a significant difference in the crystallization mechanism and rate of PLLA. For blends where PBSA was the major component, the crystallization rate of PBSA decreased with increasing PLLA content, while the crystallization mechanism did not change. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Mechanical and thermal properties of poly(butylene succinate)/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) biodegradable blends

Biodegradable polymer blends of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were prepared with different compositions. The mechanical properties of the blends were studied through tensile testing and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The dependence of the elastic modulus and strength data on the blend composition was modeled on the basis of the equivalent box model. The fitting parameters indicated complete immiscibility between PBS and PHBV and a moderate adhesion level between them. The immiscibility of the parent phases was also evidenced by scanning electron observation of the prepared blends. The thermal properties of the blends were studied through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The DSC results showed an enhancement of the crystallization behavior of PBS after it was blended with PHBV, whereas the thermal stability of PBS was reduced in the blends, as shown by the TGA thermograms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42815.     

Kenaf‐bast‐fiber‐filled biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) composites: Effects of fiber loading,fiber length,and maleated poly(butylene succinate) on the flexural and impact properties

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) filled kenaf bast fiber (KBF) composites were fabricated via compression molding. The effects of KBF loading on the flexural and impact properties of the composites were investigated for fiber loadings of 10–40 wt %. The optimum flexural strength of the composites was achieved at 30 wt % fiber loading. However, the flexural modulus of the composites kept increasing with increasing fiber loading. Increasing the fiber loading led to a drop in the impact strength of about 57.5–73.6%; this was due to the stiff nature of the KBF. The effect of the fiber length (5, 10, 15, and 20 mm) on the flexural and impact properties was investigated for the 30 wt % KBF loaded composites. The composites with 10‐mm KBF showed the highest flexural and impact properties in comparison to the others. The inferior flexural and impact strength of the composites with 15‐ and 20‐mm KBF could be attributed to the relatively longer fibers that underwent fiber attrition during compounding, which consequently led to the deterioration of the fiber. This was proven by analyses of the fiber length, diameter, and aspect ratio. The addition of maleated PBS as a compatibilizer resulted in the enhancement of the composite's flexural and impact properties due to the formation of better fiber–matrix interfacial adhesion. This was proven by scanning electron microscopy observations of the composites' fracture surfaces. The removal of unreacted maleic anhydride and dicumyl peroxide residuals from the compatibilizers led to better fiber–matrix interfacial adhesion and a slightly enhanced composite strength. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Thermal and mechanical properties of poly(butylene terephthalate)/epoxy blends

In this study, melt blends of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with epoxy resin were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate that the presence of epoxy resin influenced either the mechanical properties of the PBT/epoxy blends or the crystallization of PBT. The epoxy resin was completely miscible with the PBT matrix. This was beneficial to the improvement of the impact performance of the PBT/epoxy blends. The modification of the PBT/epoxy blends were achieved at epoxy resin contents from 1 to 7%. The maximum increase of the notched Izod impact strength (≈ 20%) of the PBT/epoxy blends was obtained at 1 wt % epoxy resin content. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and properties of PMMA‐ZrO2 organic–inorganic hybrid films

In this work we report the synthesis process and properties of PMMA‐ZrO₂ organic–inorganic hybrid films. The hybrid films were deposited by a modified sol‐gel process using zirconium propoxide (ZP) as the inorganic (zirconia) source, methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the organic source, and 3‐trimetoxy‐silyl‐propyl‐methacrylate (TMSPM) as the coupling agent between organic and inorganic phases. The films were deposited by dip coating on glass slide substrates from a hybrid precursor solution containing the three precursors with molar ratio 1 : 0.25 : 0.25 for ZP, TMSPM, and MMA, respectively. After deposition, the hybrid thin films were heat‐treated at 100°C for 24 h. The macroscopic characteristics of the hybrid films such as high homogeneity and high optical transparence evidenced the formation of a cross‐linked, interpenetrated organic–inorganic network. The deposited PMMA‐ZrO₂ hybrid films were homogeneous, highly transparent and very well adhered to substrates. Fourier Transform Infra‐Red measurements of the hybrid films display absorption bands of chemical groups associated with both PMMA and ZrO₂ phases. The amounts of organic and inorganic phases in the hybrid films were determined from thermogravimetric measurements. The surface morphology and homogeneity of the hybrid films at microscopic level were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images. From the analysis of optical transmission and reflection spectra, the optical constants (refraction index and extinction coefficient) of the hybrid films were determined, employing a physical model to simulate the hybrid optical layers. The refraction index of the hybrid films at 532 nm was 1.56. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42738.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(butylene terephthalate) nanocomposite fibers: Thermo‐mechanical properties and morphology

Nanocomposites of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with the organoclay C₁₂PPh‐MMT were prepared using in situ intercalation polymerization. Hybrids with various organoclay contents were processed for fiber spinning to examine their thermal behavior, tensile mechanical properties, and morphologies for various draw ratios (DRs). The thermal properties (T_g, T_m, and T_Dⁱ) of the hybrid fibers were found to be better than those of pure PBT fibers and were unchanged by variation of the organoclay loading up to 2 wt %. However, these thermal properties remained unchanged for DRs ranging from 1 to 18. Most clay layers were dispersed homogeneously in the matrix polymer, although some clusters were also detected. The tensile properties of the hybrid fibers increased gradually with increasing C₁₂PPh‐MMT content at DR = 1. However, the ultimate strengths and initial moduli of the hybrid fibers decreased markedly with increasing DR. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 1247–1254, 2006