Structural, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Melt Intercalated Polypropylene/Organomodified Co‐Al Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites

The current study focuses on the development of polypropylene (PP)‐based nanocomposites via melt intercalation, using varying loading rates of organomodified Co‐Al layered double hydroxide (OCo‐Al LDH: 2 and 5 wt%) as the nanofiller and PP‐grafted maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MA: 0.5 and 1 wt%) as the compatibilizer. DSC analysis demonstrated a slight increase in both the crystallization and melting temperatures of the nanocomposites relative to pristine PP. Remarkably, the PP‐based nanocomposite with 0.5 wt% PP‐g‐MA and 5 wt% OCo‐Al LDH, referred to as PP/0.5C/5OCo‐Al LDH, exhibited a 1.4‐fold enhancement in flexural strength (from 11.7 ± 1.2 to 16.7 ± 0.5 MPa) and a 1.3‐fold increment in tensile strength (from 31.5 ± 0.5 to 41 ± 1.1 MPa) compared to pristine PP. The FETEM image of the PP/0.5C/5OCo‐Al LDH nanocomposite revealed a uniform dispersion of LDH within the PP matrix without the presence of large stacked tactoids. Moreover, PP/0.5C/5OCo‐Al LDH showed a 30°C increase in thermal degradation temperature compared to pristine PP. This enhancement in the thermal properties of the PP‐based nanocomposite materials was further evidenced by increased activation energies determined using Coats‐Redfern, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, and Kissinger methods. Furthermore, the thermal degradation reaction mechanisms of pristine PP and PP‐based nanocomposite materials were evaluated using the Criado method.