Rheology, mechanical properties, and biodegradation of poly(ε-caprolactone)/silica nanocomposites

Biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/silica nanocomposites containing 1-9 wt% silica nanoparticles were prepared by melt compounding in this work. The rheology, mechanical properties, and biodegradation were investigated. PCL/silica nanocomposite shows a high percolation threshold, which is between 7 and 9 wt%. Once percolation network structure forms, the long-range motion of PCL chains is highly restrained. From the results of mechanical tests, the tensile strength, modulus, and yield strength of the nanocomposites are enhanced by the incorporation of silica nanoparticles. Moreover, it is interesting to find that the biodegradation rates have been enhanced obviously in the PCL/silica nanocomposites than in neat PCL, which may be of great use for the practical application of PCL. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1620-1628, 2013. (c) 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers