Improving the Oxygen Barrier Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate by Graphite Nanoplatelets
Date
2015-04-21
Authors
Al-Jabareen, Ahmad
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Abstract
Enhancement of the oxygen gas barrier properties of polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), used in the packaging industry, is the main objective here. For this purpose,
nanocomposites of PET containing graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) were prepared
by melt compounding. The effects of the nanocomposites’ structural morphology
on oxygen gas permeability were analyzed using a range of thermal, microscopic,
and mechanical characterization techniques. The investigated nanocomposite
films exhibited GNP exfoliated morphology and good mixing with PET, as well as
uniform dispersion within the polymer. All nanocomposite films were shown to
possess superior oxygen barrier properties and improved thermal and
dimensional stability compared with the plain PET films. In the best case, for 1.5
wt % GNP, the oxygen permeation was reduced by more than 99%. The improved
barrier properties are attributed to the direct effect of the GNPs and to their
induced increase of degree of crystallinity.