Microstructure and thermal behavior of polylactide/clay nanocomposites melt compounded under supercritical CO2
(174–182)Advances in Polymer Technology 30 #3 (2011)
Jiang, Huang and Chen ofSouth China University of Technology, China, compoundied polylactide (PLA)/clay nanocomposites using a twin-screw extruder.  Two extrusion methods were used, one with Sc-CO2 and another without Sc-CO2. Results show that the layer spacing of clay in the nanocomposites was improved with the Sc-CO2.  Observed from transmission electron microscopy photomicrographs, it was shown that the clay was dispersed more homogeneously in the nanocomposites compounded with Sc-CO2. DSC traces show that cold crystallization appeared for nanocomposites, indicating that clay could act as a nucleating agent.  Sc-CO2 was helpful in improving the thermal stability of nanocomposites. In addition, there existed a yielding phenomenon for nanocomposites during the tensile property measurement. With the preparation of Sc-CO2, the elongation at break and tensile strength for nanocomposites were increased  (RDC 8/9/2011)