Enhanced crystallization of bisphenol-A polycarbonate by nano-scale clays in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide

The crystallization behavior of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) and PC/clay nanocomposites were studied in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) using DSC, WAXD and AFM. In the absence of SCCO2, nano-scale clay itself does not change the crystallization behavior of PC under our experimental conditions. In the presence of SCCO2, clay appears to be an efficient nucleating agent and enhances the crystallization of PC. The addition of clay reduces the induction time of crystallization and increases the crystallization rate. The increase in crystallinity with clay depends on the crystallization time. When the crystallization time is sufficient, PC and PC/clay composites tend to have similar crystallinity in the range of 26%. Two melting temperatures are observed during the DSC heating scan, and are mainly associated with the melting of both secondary and primary crystals. Results show that the clay influences the primary crystallization process more than the secondary crystallization process.