Using Agrawal integral equation to study the glass transition and cold crystallization kinetics of exfoliated nano-composites synthesized by vinyl acetate and organic montmorillonite

To study the glass transition and cold crystallization kinetics, the exfoliated nano-composites synthesized by vinyl acetate (VAc) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) through different processes were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis. Different synthesis processes and OMMT had significant effect on their dynamic mechanical properties. They brought combined effect on the modulus, loss tangent, and glass transition temperature ( Tg). OMMT could lower PVAc’s Tg, so improved PVAc’s low temperature resistance. PVAc–OMMT was a homogeneous amorphous linear polymer and it appeared the cold crystallization phenomenon. The glass transition and cold crystallization kinetics were first analyzed using the Agrawal integral equation. The kinetic parameters, including the kinetics mechanism function, the linear fit equation, the linearly dependent coefficient, the activation energy, the frequency factor, the mechanism, the reaction order, and the kinetic compensation effect equation, were obtained.