Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/titanium phosphate nanocomposites: Effect of fillers on thermal, crystallographic diffraction, molecular mobility, and UV-Vis absorption

There are several chemicals for using as ultraviolet (UV) absorbers. Considering that titanium phosphate (TiP) not yet studied for this purpose, we intended to investigate its effect on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). TiP was synthesized and intercalated with two types of long-chain amine, octadecylamine (OETiP) and ether-amine-O-(2-aminopropyl)-O′-(2-methoxyethyl)polypropylene glycol) (JETiP) being the intercalation assisted by ethylamine. Nanocomposites of PET/TiP (filled with 5 wt%) (PET-TiP, PET-OETiP, and PET-JETiP) were prepared by melting extrusion. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, hydrogen low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (1H LFNMR), and UV-visible (Vis) absorption were used for characterizations. OETiP and JETiP induced the decrease of PET glass transition temperature (Tg) and heat crystallization temperature (Tch) while PET crystallinity degree (Xc), cold crystallization temperature (Tcc), and crystallization rate increased. WAXD suggested the intercalation of PET chains inside of fillers lamellae. According to 1H LFNMR, all fillers increased the PET molecular mobility. Diffuse reflectance revealed increase of the absorption at UV light region. The sample might be thought as a UV absorber.