Quantitative electron tomography of polylactic acid/clay nanocomposites for better comprehension of processing–microstructure–elastic modulus

Abstract

The objective of performing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tomography (TEMT) on poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/clay samples is to characterize their 3D microstructure by obtaining the dispersion distribution and orientation of the dimensions of the clays. This information cannot be elucidated from a qualitative TEM analysis or from conventional characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction. The nanocomposites are obtained by mixing PLA with Cloisite 20A and 30B at different extrusion shear rates which have been analyzed in 3D. Quantitative TEMT is performed to all the nanocomposites and the resulting 3D quantitative characterization (geometry of clay particles misalignment degree and distribution) is used for a more realistic comprehension of the mechanical behavior of the nanocomposites.