Enhancement of mechanical and thermal properties of polycaprolactone/chitosan blend by calcium carbonate nanoparticles

This study investigates the effects of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) nanoparticles on the mechanical and thermal properties and surface morphology of polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan nanocomposites. The nanocomposites of PCL/chitosan/CaCO(3) were prepared using a melt blending technique. Transmission e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 4508 - 4522
Main Authors: Abdolmohammadi, Sanaz, Siyamak, Samira, Ibrahim, Nor Azowa, Yunus, Wan Md Zin Wan, Rahman, Mohamad Zaki Ab, Azizi, Susan, Fatehi, Asma
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-04-2012
Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
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Summary:This study investigates the effects of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) nanoparticles on the mechanical and thermal properties and surface morphology of polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan nanocomposites. The nanocomposites of PCL/chitosan/CaCO(3) were prepared using a melt blending technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicate the average size of nanoparticles to be approximately 62 nm. Tensile measurement results show an increase in the tensile modulus with CaCO(3) nanoparticle loading. Tensile strength and elongation at break show gradual improvement with the addition of up to 1 wt% of nano-sized CaCO(3). Decreasing performance of these properties is observed for loading of more than 1 wt% of nano-sized CaCO(3). The thermal stability was best enhanced at 1 wt% of CaCO(3) nanoparticle loading. The fractured surface morphology of the PCL/chitosan blend becomes more stretched and homogeneous in PCL/chitosan/CaCO(3) nanocomposite. TEM micrograph displays good dispersion of CaCO(3) at lower nanoparticle loading within the matrix.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms13044508