화학공학소재연구정보센터
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.52, No.32, 11050-11060, 2013
High Clarity, Thermally Stable and Mechanically Robust Titania Nanocomposites: Probing the Role of Binding Agent
Highly transparent nanocomposites were produced by in situ generation of titania network into an aromatic polyamide through a sol-gel process. These nanocomposites were fabricated using two different strategies, system-I involved the interaction of hydroxyl groups present on the backbone of the matrix with tetraisopropylorthotitanate (TPOT), while in system-II, 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICTS) was exploited for extensive bonding between titania and hydroxyl groups of aromatic polyamide derived from the condensation of different diamines and terephthaloyl chloride. Thin nanocomposite films were analyzed for their structural, optical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological analyses. FTIR data confirmed the formation of nanocomposites and interaction among the phases. Tensile properties of these materials were improved with increasing titania content relative to pure polyamide. FESEM micrographs clearly showed homogeneous distribution of titania at nanolevel in the matrix. Thermal decomposition and glass transition temperatures of nanocomposites were found in the ranges 450-550 degrees C and 285-328 degrees C, respectively, depicting high thermal stability and interactions between the two phases.