Processing and Mechanical Properties of Starch and PCL Composite Reinforced by Nano-SiO2
The thermoplastic processing and mechanical properties of starch and polycaprolactone (PCL) composites reinforced by nano-silica (nano-SiO2) were studied. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the starch/PCL blends improved significantly with the increase of PCL. After the addition of nano-SiO2, the mechanical properties of the starch/PCL blends further improved. When the weight percent of nano-SiO2 was 1.8%, the mechanical properties of the SiO2/TPS/PCL composite were most excellent. By comparison with the starch/PCL (50/50) blends, the tensile strength of the SiO2/TPS/PCL composite with 1.8% SiO2 was increased by 20% and the elongation increased by 33%. Moreover, it was confirmed by rheological measurements that nano-SiO2 could interact with the composite materials, which results in the improvement of the mechanical strength of the TPS/PCL composites.