PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOBASED POLY(ETHYLENE- 2,5-FURAN DICARBOXYLATE)/CLAY NANOCOMPOSITES -

Poly(ethylene 2,5-furan dicarboxylate)/Clay nanocomposites was prepared via esterification and polycondensation reaction. Biobased monomer was first intercalated into the interlayer regions of clay minerals by ion exchange reaction. Then, the clay was dispersed in the monomer at different loading degrees to conduct the polymerization process. Polymerization through the interlayer of the clay led to the exfoliated poly(ethylene-2,5-furan dicarboxylate)/montmorillonite nanocomposite formation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the resultant nanocomposites exhibited exfoliated polymer/clay nanocomposites Keywords : Poly(ethylene-2,5- furan dicarboxylate); renewable polymers; nanocomposites, montmorinollite