Author(s)

Y Jae-Young Lee, Hong-Ki Lee, Sung-Wan Hong, Il-Yub Choi

Dept. of Cosmetics, Woosuk Univ. Samnye, Korea.
Dept. of Enviro. Eng., Univ. of Seoul Seoul, Korea.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Parts and Applied Technology RIC Woosuk Univ., Wanju, Korea.

Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were incorporated into isotactic polypropylene (iPP) film by a one-step dry process. iPP film was exposed to the sublimed Pd(acac)₂ vapor in a glass vessel at 180^oC. The Pd nanoparticles were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), and it was found that metallic nanoparticles were selectively loaded on the amorphous regions between the lamellae in iPP. Thermal degradation kinetics was investigated by introducing the data of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to Flynn & Wall equation. TGA data showed that thermal degradation temperature (T_d) of the neat iPP was improved about 35^oC by loading 0.27 wt% Pd nanoparticles. Thermal degradation activation energy (E_d) for iPP/Pd nanocomposite was 227.85 kJ/mol while that of neat iPP was 220.57 kJ/mol. These results meant that the Pd nanoparticles acted as a retardant in the thermal degradation of neat iPP polymer chain.

Pd Nanoparticles; Polymer Nanocomposite; Isotactic Polypropylene; Thermal Degradation; Flynn & Wall Equation

Y. Lee, H. Lee, S. Hong and I. Choi, "Thermal Degradation Kinetics of iPP/Pd Nanocomposite Prepared by a Drying Process," Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry, Vol. 2 No. 4B, 2012, pp. 110-114. doi: 10.4236/ampc.2012.24B030.