Abstract
Encapsulation represents one feasible approach of preparing powdered natural rubber. Herein, we demonstrated the preparation of polymethyl methacrylate-grafted natural rubber (PMMA-g-NR) powders through emulsion polymerization followed by spray drying and investigated its impact reinforcement effect after blending with polylactic acid (PLA). The effects of feeding order, initiator concentration (CHPO/TEPA), monomer concentration (MMA) and reaction time on the grafting efficiency and yield were investigated. 1H-NMR and FTIR analyses confirmed the formation of PMMA-g-NR powder with high grafting efficiency (∼85%). TEM observations revealed the core-shell structure of the composite powder particles. DSC and TGA analyses proved that the PMMA-g-NR powder possessed improved thermal properties compared to neat NR. Impact strength of PLA/PMMA-g-NR blends were improved by 4.5-fold by the spray-dried composite powder prepared using 25 phr MMA and 1 phr CHPO/TEPA with 5 hours reaction time. The enhanced mechanical properties were attributed to the microstructures and high surface areas of PMMA-g-NR powder.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2770-2782 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Drying Technology |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 13 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- impact reinforcement
- natural rubber composite powder
- PMMA
- polylactic acid
- Spray drying