TY  - EJOU
AU  - Iggui, Kahina 
AU  - Kaci, Mustapha 
AU  - Moigne, Nicolas Le 
AU  - Bergeret, Anne 

TI  - The Effects of Accelerated Photooxidation on Molecular Weight and Thermal and Mechanical Properties of PHBV/Cloisite 30B Bionanocomposites
T2  - Journal of Renewable Materials

PY  - 2018
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
SN  - 2164-6341

AB  - The effects of accelerated photooxidation on the molecular weight and thermal and mechanical properties of Cast PHBV and PHBV/Cloisite 30B (3 wt%) bionanocomposites are investigated herein. Through size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis, a significant decrease in both weight and number average molecular weights was observed for all irradiated samples over time, resulting from the chain scission mechanism. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data indicated a decrease in degree of crystallinity and melting temperature after UV exposure, with the appearance of double melting peaks related to the changes in the crystal structure of PHBV. Thermal stability, tensile and thermo-mechanical properties were also reduced consecutively in photooxidation, being more pronounced for Cast PHBV. This study shows that the incorporation of Cloisite 30B in PHBV provides a better resistance to photooxidation in comparison with the neat polymer.
KW  - Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)
KW  -  organo-modified montmorillonite
KW  -  bionanocomposites
KW  -  accelerated photooxidation and degradation

DO  - 10.7569/JRM.2017.634184