Poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposites by in situ interlayer polymerization: the thermo-mechanical properties and morphology of the hybrid fibers

Nanocomposites of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with C12PPh–MMT as an organoclay were synthesized by using the in situ interlayer polymerization approach. The PET nanocomposites were melt-spun at different organoclay contents and different draw ratios to produce monofilaments. The thermo-mechanical properties and the morphologies of the PET nanocomposites were examined by using a differential scanning calorimeter, a thermogravimetric analyzer, a wide angle X-ray diffactometer, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and a universal tensile machine. Some of the clay particles were well dispersed in the PET matrix, and some of them were agglomerated at a size level of greater than approximately 10 nm. The thermal stability and the tensile mechanical properties of the PET hybrid fibers increased with increasing clay content at a DR=1. However, the values of the ultimate tensile strength and the initial modulus of the hybrid fibers decreased markedly with increasing DR from 1 to 16.