Enhanced mechanical properties of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)/cellulose acetate butyrate nanocomposites filled with organoclay

Poly(ε-caprolactone)/cellulose acetate butyrate (PCL/CAB) blend is a promising biodegradable material since the two components are complementary in their physical properties. However, the blend presents undesired physical properties due to their poor miscibility. In this work, organoclay was incorporated into PCL/CAB matrix by melt compounding. Good dispersion of nanoclay with intercalated structure was obtained within the polymeric matrix, as demonstrated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The presence of nanofillers remarkably reinforced the PCL/CAB matrix without sacrificing its toughness. A maximum 45% increase in the modulus, 16.5% in the yield strength and 6% in the elongation at break were achieved by adding 5 wt% organoclay. The thermal stability and crystallization behavior of the nanocomposites as a function of organoclay content were also investigated by thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).