Investigation of the thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites

Research into organic-inorganic nanocomposites has recently become popular, particularly the development of new polymer nanocomposites. Compared to pristine polymers or conventional composites, these nanocomposites exhibit improved properties. The storage modulus of a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposite slightly decreased with POSS content, but had a higher modulus from 50 to 100 degrees C. Some of the material appeared to be aggregated with 1 wt% POSS in the polymeric matrix. Conversely, with a POSS content of 5 wt%, a better dispersion of the nanoparticles was observed. The presence of POSS in the plasticised PVC compound had little influence on the final properties of the nanocomposites, showing weaker interactions between the POSS and the plasticised PVC compound. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry