Mechanical and rheological studies on polyethylene terephthalate-montmorillonite nanocomposites.

In this work, a detailed investigation of the rheological and mechanical properties of nanocomposites based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and montmorillonite clays is presented. A series of additives [maleic anhydride (MAH), pentaerythritol (PENTA), and alkylammonium chlorides from amines of various chain lengths] were used as compatibilizers. The influence of the additives on the mechanical and rheological behavior of the PET matrix was evaluated separately, through their individual contributions. To shed more light on the reported decrease in melt viscosity of organoclay composite