Comprehensive characterizations of organoclay types based on their integration to poly (butylene terephthalate) nanocomposites.

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) nanocomposites loaded with two different types of organoclays are fabricated using the melt mixing technique in a twin-screw extruder. Quaternary ammonium salts with dimethyl, benzyl, hydrogenated tallow, and dimethyl, dehydrogenated tailed modified organoclays are blended with PBT matrix at the compositions of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% weight ratios. Test samples are shaped using a lab-scale injection molding device. Mechanical, thermo-mechanical, thermal stability, melt flow, structural, and morphological behaviors of the nanocomposite samples are investigated by performing tensile, impact, and shore hardness tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), melt flow rate measurements, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods, respectively. According to the findings, NC 130 clay gave better results than NC 140 in terms of tensile, hardness, and melt flow behaviors, whereas NC 140 showed higher performances as impact resistance, thermo-mechanical, and density, since the reduction in density and weight lowering are highly required for mainly transportation sector, and thermal properties were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]