TY - JOUR T1 - Green nanocomposites from renewable resources: effect of plasticizer on the structure and material properties of clay-filled starch JF - Starch-Starke Y1 - 2005 A1 - Pandey, JK A1 - Singh, RP KW - clay-filled starch KW - effect of plasticizer KW - Nanocomposites KW - WAXD AB -

Nanocomposites of starch were prepared via different addition sequences of plasticizer and clay by the solution method. The extent of dispersion of the filler was evaluated by wide angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD) in the resulting composites. Thermal stability, mechanical properties and water absorption studies were conducted to measure the material properties whereas FT-IR spectroscopy was used to study the microdomain structure of composites. The sequence of addition of components (starch/plasticizer (glycerol)/clay) had a significant effect on the nature of composites formed and accordingly properties were altered. Glycerol and starch both have the tendency to penetrate into the silicate layers but penetration of glycerol is favored owing to its smaller molecule size. The filler dispersion becomes highly heterogeneous and the product becomes more brittle when starch was plasticized before filling with clay due to the formation of a bulky structure resulting from electrostatic attractions between starch and plasticizer. It was concluded that best mechanical properties can be obtained if plasticizer is added after mixing of clay in the starch matrix.

PB - WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH CY - PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY VL - 57 IS - 1 U3 -

Foreign

U4 - 1.523 ER -