Optimization of Nanoclay Loading on the Thermo-mechanical Behavior of Chemically Treated Jute Polyethylene Nanocomposites

In this study, the jute polyethylene nanocomposites were developed using hot-press technique. In order to enhance the compatibility between fiber, polymer and nanofillers, chemically treated jute (with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxy silane) and organically modified nanoclay were used for the manufacturing of nanocomposites in this study. The effect of different types of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on the thermal behaviourof prepared nanocomposites have been investigated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study fiber surface modification and surface morphology of nanocomposites, respectively. Tensile strength (TS) tensile modulus (TM) were considered to assess mechanical behavior. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were carried out to evaluate the thermal performances. It was found that the MMT nanoclay loaded nanocomposites shows higher tensile values and thermal stability than composite without nanoclay, andMMT-1.31PS loaded nanocomposite exhibited highest improvement among five types of MMT nanoclay used in this paper.