Characterization and Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) Nanocomposites Reinforced with TiO 2 Nanoparticles

Poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) reinforced with TiOTiO 2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO 2) were prepared by direct melt compounding. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted on the PEN/nano-TiO 2 nanocomposites to clarify the effect of nano-TiO 2 on the thermal decomposition behavior of the resultant nanocomposites. There is a significant dependence of thermal decomposition behavior for PEN/nano-TiO 2 nanocomposites on the content of nano-TiO 2 and heating rate. The variation of the activation energy for thermal decomposition reflected the improvement of the thermal stability of the PEN/nano-TiO 2 nanocomposites. The incorporation of nano-TiO 2 into the PEN matrix increased the storage modulus of the PEN/nano-TiO 2 nanocomposites. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.