5TH International Congress on Technology - Engineering & Science - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia (2018-02-01)

The Thermal Degradation Kinetic Of Abs/omt Nanocomposites

In this study the organically modified montmorillonite (OMT) was added to ABS and the ABS/OMT nanocomposites were prepared in four compositions, by the melt mixing method using a twin-roll mill. The XRD patterns show information about the situation of the layers inside the matrix of the nanocomposites. However, due to the fact that only the intercalated state can be deduced directly from the XRD data and the so-called exfoliation state is usually judged when no diffraction peak appears in XRD patterns, it is necessary also to verify the nanocomposites by TEM. The well known salami morphology with the intercalated clay particles concentrated on the interphase area, was easily detectable in the micrograph. The thermal decomposition of ABS/OMT nanocomposites under nitrogen purge at different heating rates was investigated. Furthermore, the activation energies of ABS/OMT nanocomposites were calculated using Flynn Wall Ozawa method in which with increasing of the OMT content in nanocomposite, the activation energy values were decreased. The results show the relationship between degradation behavior and the activation energy value, in which reduction in activation energy values was observed by increasing the clay content in ABS nanocomposites. Even though the thermal property enhancement effect of clay nanofillers observed in many of the polymeric nanocomposites has been attributed to the barrier property and char promoting effect of the clay, which protects the inner materials from further decomposition or combustion, the reduced activation energy values by increasing clay content showed their accelerating effect on thermal degradation reactions. It was concluded that clay particles or layers take part in the thermal degradation mechanisms and they must not be regarded as inert materials.
Hamidreza Azimi