Effect of Nanoclay Amount on the Properties of Biodegradable Polymer/Organoclay Nanocomposites Based on Cellulose Acetate and Poly(Butylene-Adipate-co-Terephthalate)

With the ever increasing momentum of the ‘Green Movement’, a renewed interest in developing biodegradable polymers for a wide-range of industrial applications has been sparked.  Cellulosics (synthetic plastics made from a naturally occurring polymer, cellulose) offer an interesting solution, as they are a major biodegradable plastic derived from a renewable resource (wood pulp).  Organic nanoparticles, when introduced to varying polymer matrices, have shown to modify morphological, mechanical, and rheological properties of the blends.  Within this study, bio-nanocomposites (biopolymer matrix reinforced with nanoparticles) based on cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and modified montmorillonite (MMT) are prepared using melt intercalation via twin-screw extrusion method.  The effect of type (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) and amount (0wt%-5wt%) of MMT on the morphology and  both mechanical and rheological properties of CAB-MMT bio-nanocomposites are investigated.