Open Access

ARTICLE

The Effects of Accelerated Photooxidation on Molecular Weight and Thermal and Mechanical Properties of PHBV/Cloisite 30B Bionanocomposites

Kahina Iggui^1,2,*,†, Mustapha Kaci², Nicolas Le Moigne¹, Anne Bergeret¹

1 Centre des Matériaux des Mines d’Alès (C2MA), IMT Mines Ales, Université de Montpellier, 30100 Alès, France
2 Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, University of Béjaïa, Béjaïa Province, 06000, Algeria
† Current address: Institut de Technologie, Université Akli Mohand Oulhadj, Bouira 10000, Algeria
‡ C2MA is member of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE)

*Corresponding author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2018, 6(3), 288-298. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2017.634184

Abstract

The effects of accelerated photooxidation on the molecular weight and thermal and mechanical properties of Cast PHBV and PHBV/Cloisite 30B (3 wt%) bionanocomposites are investigated herein. Through size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis, a significant decrease in both weight and number average molecular weights was observed for all irradiated samples over time, resulting from the chain scission mechanism. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data indicated a decrease in degree of crystallinity and melting temperature after UV exposure, with the appearance of double melting peaks related to the changes in the crystal structure of PHBV. Thermal stability, tensile and thermo-mechanical properties were also reduced consecutively in photooxidation, being more pronounced for Cast PHBV. This study shows that the incorporation of Cloisite 30B in PHBV provides a better resistance to photooxidation in comparison with the neat polymer.

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Keywords

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