Investigation of the Effect of Nanoclay on Thermal and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Poly( N -vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)/Dextran/Poly(ethylene glycol)-Based Nanocomposites

Abstract In this work, the effect of nanoclay content on the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of the ternary polymer blend-based nanocomposites was investigated. The synergistic effect of combining poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP), dextran (DEX), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), along with the addition of nanoclay, can lead to the formation of new nanostructures with improved properties. Based on this, nanocomposites were successfully prepared using the solution mixing method. Structural and morphological characteristics of the prepared nanocomposites were comprehensively evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Intercalation of the polymer blend between the silicate layers was determined by XRD analysis. TEM analyses confirmed highly intercalated nanocomposite structures. The thermal and dynamic mechanical behavior of the ternary blend and its nanocomposites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced thermal stability compared to the polymer blend, as evidenced by residue percentages of 8.3% for the blend and 16.1 and 17.4% for the nanocomposites containing 5 and 10% nanoclay at 600 °C, respectively. For the ternary blend, the onset temperature observed in the storage modulus was 47.8 °C, while for nanocomposites containing 5 and 10% nanoclay, this temperature was 51.6 and 52.4 °C, respectively; the differences are slightly greater at temperatures above ∼200 °C. These functional nanocomposites, prepared through the synergy of multiple materials and containing biocompatible polymers, have been developed as potential candidate nanomaterials for use in various fields requiring high-performance materials.