Polypropylene/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites – study of free volumes, crystallinity degree and mass flow rate

Polypropylene/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PP/POSS) nanocomposites were prepared by the melt blending method. Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) was used to study the effects of the structure and of the amount of POSS on the free volumes in PP. The PALS parameters: o-Ps lifetime and its intensity, were compared to the crystallinity degree and to the mass flow rate (MFR) of nanocomposites. The presence of POSS nanofillers affected the PP microstructure and the size and number of free volumes in the polymer. The crystallinity degree was decreased and the intensity of o-Ps component was increased by increasing POSS contents. The MFR values increased for nanocomposites, thus POSS nanoparticles can act as plasticizers and generate more free volumes in PP.