Abstract
The effect of the addition of an ester of montanic acid with multifunctional alcohols in the effectiveness of the dispersion and compatibility of TiO2 nanoparticles when included as filler in poly(ethyleneterephthalate) for composite production is studied through the study of the non-isothermal crystallization by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The application of the Avrami method enables to evaluate the compatibility and the level of dispersion/aggregation of the nanofiller in the poly(ethyleneterephthalate) by the analysis of the temperature and enthalpy of crystallization, the kinetic parameters and the half-crystallization time.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the companies Anglés Textil, S.A., Zeus Química, S.A. and Clariant for providing polyester pellets, TiO2 nanoparticles and ester of montanic acids with multifunctional alcohols, respectively. The authors also acknowledge Mrs. Carmen Escamilla and Mrs. Montserrat García for their support in the experimental work.
Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this research from the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (Project MAT2010-20324-CO2).