Influence of modified mesoporous silica SBA-15 and compatibilizer on the properties and structure of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer-based nanocomposites

ABSTRACT

Three series of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/mesoporous silica type SBA-15 (EVA/SBA-15) nanocomposites, containing 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% SBA-15 nanoparticles were prepared by melt blending in internal mixer. The mesoporous silica SBA-15 was synthesized by the sol-gel method and organomodified by Hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). The terpolymer of Ethylene-butyl acrylate-maleic anhydride (E-BA-MA) containing 6% butylacrylate, 3% maleic anhydride was added as compatibilizer at 2 wt% to nanocomposites including unmodified SBA-15. The chemical and physical properties of EVA/SBA-15 nanocomposites were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheology. The results confirmed that HDTMS was successfully incorporated into the surface of SBA-15. The crystallinity of the matrix decreased and Young’s modulus increased with the incorporation of the filler and in the presence of terpolymer as compatibilizer, whereas elongation at break and tensile strength kept almost the values of the matrix. The thermal stability of nanocomposites was enhanced as compared with the pure EVA matrix.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Mesoporous silica
• EVA
• nanocomposites
• mechanical properties
• thermal stability
• interfaces compatibility

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Institute of sciences and polymers technology (ICTP) Madrid, Spain, for the technical support of this investigation.

Declaration of interest statement

The authors certify that they have NO conflicts of interest to disclose and the manuscript contains NO illegal declarations.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sofiane Lasmi

Sofiane Lasmi is a PhD student in polymer engineering, Emerging Materials Research Unit-Sétif (URMES), Valorization of Polymers group, University Ferhat Abbas Sétif-1, Sétif, Algeria.

Fouzia Zoukrami

Fouzia Zoukrami, PhD in polymer engineering, Emerging Materials Research Unit-Sétif (URMES), Valorization of Polymers Team, University Ferhat Abbas Sétif-1, Sétif, Algeria.

Ángel Antonio Marcos-Fernández

 Ángel Antonio Marcos -Fernández, PhD and vicedirector of the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnologia de Polimeros (ICTP)), Calle Juan de la Cierva, Madrid, Spain.

Hadjira Guerba

Hadjira Guerba, PhD in chemical engineering, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences. University of Sétif, El Bez Campus, Sétif, Algeria.