US EPA

1588234 

Journal Article 

Modification of TiO2 with Titanate Coupling Agent and Its Impact on the Crystallization Behaviour of Polybutylene Terephthalate 

Li, GuiJ; Fan, SRui; Wang, K; Ren, XiuLi; Mu, XWen 

2010 

Yes 

Iranian Polymer Journal
ISSN: 1026-1265 

19 

2 

115-121 

WOS:000277424400004 

Nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) was surface modified by
isopropyl tri(dioctyl phosphate) titanate (NDZ-102 titanate coupling agent) using ultrasonic wet
method. The modified nano-TiO2 (M-TiO2) was characterized by sinkability, rotary viscometry,
activation index measurement, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed
that, after being surface modified by NDZ-102 titanate coupling agent, the surface property of
TiO2 changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, the M-TiO2 showed a good dispersion property and
could evenly suspend in liquid paraffin, viscosity reduced to 87.76% of that of the pristine
nano-TiO2 (P-TiO2) and its activation index was increased up to 100%. On the basis of the above
result, P-TiO2/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and M-TiO2/PBT composite samples were prepared by
melt-blending process and their crystallization behaviours were characterized and compared
together. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the M-TiO2 of smaller particle
size was uniformly dispersed in PBT matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that TiO2 as
nucleating agent accelerated the crystallization of PBT where PBT and TiO2 crystallized
separately in the blend system. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) micrographs indicated that the
crystal sizes were in the order of PBT > P-TiO2/PBT > M-TiO2/PBT, while the order of crystal
number was PBT < P-TiO2/PBT < M-TiO2/PBT. Moreover, the crystals of M-TiO2/PBT were perfect
spherulite with a good dispersability and its crystallization behaviour improved greatly compared
to those of PBT and P-TiO2/PBT crystals. 

TiO2; surface modification; poly(butylene terephthalate); crystallization