Morphological, optical and electromagnetic characterization of polybutylene terephthalate/silica nanocomposites

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) composites containing 1 %, 3 % and 5 % silica nanoparticles were prepared by melt compounding method. The characteristics of the nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile strength test (TST), reflectance spectroscopy (RS), electromagnetic transition test (ETT) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XRD method showed successful incorporation of silica into the polymer matrix. SEM and AFM results showed the presence of silica aggregates on the surface of PBT sheets. Thermal analysis results demonstrated some changes in crystallinity of PBT after addition of silica. The PBT/silica nanocomposites were found to have higher electromagnetic reflection compared with the pure PBT. Silica nanoparticle is thus suggested as a good candidate for electromagnetic shielding purposes.