Abstract
High-density polyethylene (HDPE)/Mg2Al–layered double hydroxide (Mg2Al–LDH) nanocomposites with an ethylene-acrylic acid random copolymer (EAA)/Mg2Al–LDH master batch were prepared by melt-mixing. The structure of the nanocomposites was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrate the formation of the nanocomposites with exfoliated/intercalated layered double hydroxides well distributed in the HDPE matrix. The nonisothermal crystallization behaviour of master batch-based HDPE nanocomposites was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystallization behaviour of HDPE/Mg2Al–LDH nanocomposites was well defined by the Avrami analysis and Jeziorny method, as well as the combined Avrami and Ozawa analysis (MO's model). The results reveal that a very small amount of Mg2Al–LDH (1%) accelerates the crystallization process in comparison with the neat HDPE, and the high crystallization rate is attributed to the nucleating effect of the exfoliated nanoparticles. Overall, the exfoliated Mg2Al–LDH particles act as the nucleating agent, and therefore distinctly change the type of nucleation, growth and geometry of HDPE crystals.