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Thermal properties of microcrystalline cellulose-filled PET–PTT blend polymer composites

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Abstract

Polymer composite materials were prepared from poly(ethylene terephthalate)–poly(trimethylene terephthalate) blends as the matrix and different microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) filler levels (0–40 wt%) using melt compounding followed by compression molding. The composites were analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The DSC results indicated that there is no consistent or significant influence of the MCC addition on the glass transition (T g), melting (T m), and crystallization temperature of the composites. With increasing MCC content, dynamic mechanical properties improved because of the reinforcing effect of the MCC. The tan δ peak values from the DMTA were not significantly changed as the MCC content increased. TG indicated that the onset temperature of rapid thermal degradation decreased with increasing MCC content. It was also found that the thermal stability of the composites slightly decreased as the MCC content increased.

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Acknowledgements

The Republic of Turkey, Ministry of National Education is greatly acknowledged for support of the scholarship of the researcher Alper Kiziltas to do this study at the University of Maine. The authors thank Chris West for the sample preparation. The authors would also like to thank Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station (MAFES) project ME09615-08MS and the Wood Utilization Research Hatch 2007–2008 project. This is the 3069th paper of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AEWC Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Alper Kiziltas, Douglas J. Gardner, Yousoo Han & Han-Seung Yang

  2. Department of Forest Industry Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, University of Bartin, 74100, Bartin, Turkey

    Alper Kiziltas

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  1. Alper Kiziltas
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  2. Douglas J. Gardner
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  3. Yousoo Han
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  4. Han-Seung Yang
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Correspondence to Alper Kiziltas.

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Kiziltas, A., Gardner, D.J., Han, Y. et al. Thermal properties of microcrystalline cellulose-filled PET–PTT blend polymer composites. J Therm Anal Calorim 103, 163–170 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-010-0894-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-010-0894-6

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