Characterization polyethylene terephthalate nanocomposites mixing with nano-silica and titanium oxide

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) based nanocomposites containing nano-silica (Aerosil (Degusa)) and titanium oxide (TiO2 (Merk)) were prepared by melt compounding. Influence of nano-silica and titanium oxide on properties of the resulting nanocomposites was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The possible interaction between nano-silica and titanium oxide particles with PET functional groups at bulk and surface was elucidated by transmission of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. AFM studies of the resulting nanocomposites showed an increased surface roughness compared to pure PET. SEM images illustrated that nano-silica particles have tendency to migrate to the surface of the PET matrix much more than titanium oxide powder.