Thermal degradation behavior of the poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organoclay nanocomposites: comparison of twin screw extruder and thermokinetic mixer

The scope of this work consists in studying the thermal decomposition behavior of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and its nanocomposites generated with organically modified clay types using different processing methods. To achieve this goal, montmorillonite type raw clays modified with a synthesized intercalating agent and a commercially available organoclay (Nanofil® SE3010) were mixed with the PET by employing the melt extrusion and the Gelimat method. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite materials was evaluated by dilute solution viscosity techniques and determined to be dependent on the elements present in the raw clay.