Nanocomposites‐based polyolefins as alternative to improve barrier properties |
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Authors: | J. W. C. Carvalho C. Sarantópoulos L. H. Innocentini‐Mei |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Polymer Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Campinas State University, Campinas SP, Brazil;2. Packaging Technology Center, Institute of Food Technology, Campinas SP, Brazil |
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Abstract: | This work investigates the influence of some ammonium quaternary compounds as coupling agent in polyethylene/clay nanocomposites to improve the performance of polyethylene used as packaging barrier material. The 3 wt % of vermiculite used as a nanofiller was added to linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) and to linear low‐density polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (LLDPE‐g‐MA). The analysis results revealed that the influence of both the clay exfoliation in a polymer matrix and the coupling agents on the barrier properties were significant. Among the coupling agents used, cetylpropyldimethylammonium chloride yielded the best result for vermiculite exfoliation. A reduction of up to 18% in the oxygen‐permeability coefficient was observed in the nanocompounds with exfoliated vermiculite. The nanocomposite produced with vermiculite did not prove to be efficient as a moisture barrier against according to the analysis performed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 |
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Keywords: | barrier nanocomposites organoclay poly‐ethylene (PE) |
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