Author(s)

José Cirilo Ignacio Lara-Estévez, Luís Antônio Sanchez de Almeida Prado, Karl Schulte, Emilio Bucio

Departamento de Química de Radiaciones y Radioquímica, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, México City, México.
Institut für Kunststoffe und Verbundwerkstoffe, Technische Universit?t Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Alumina nanoparticles were dispersed in poly(amide 12-b-tetramethylene oxide) copolymer through extrusion. The alumina particles were functionalized with 3-(2 trimethoxysilylethyl) cyclohexene oxide. The following PEBAX ^TM/ Al₂O ₃ proportions were prepared: 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0% w/w. The thermal stabiity of the nanocomposites was evalu- ated by thermograviemtric analysis under N₂ and was comparable to the neat PEBAX^TM polymer. The thermo-oxidative degradation of the polymeric matrix by oxygen was strongly hindered by the functionalized alumina. The rule of mixture would predict that the thermal degradation should be strongly dominated by PEBAX^TM matrix. Therefore, the physical mixture of PEBAX^TM and silanized alumina should be almost as stable as pure PEBAX^TM. However, the experimental results suggest that the nanocomposites are more stable than the mixture of their components. This stabilization effect is evident in the temperature range between 300?C and 400?C, in which the degradation of the PA12 block takes place.

Nanocomposites; Alumina; Functionalization; Thermoplastic Elastomers; Thermal Behavior

J. Lara-Estévez, L. Prado, K. Schulte and E. Bucio, "PEBAX^TM-Silanized Al₂O₃Composite. Synthesis and Characterization," Open Journal of Polymer Chemistry, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2012, pp. 63-69. doi: 10.4236/ojpchem.2012.22008.