Thermal stability and oxygen resistance of polypropylene composites with fullerene/montmorillonite hybrid fillers

Silane coupling agent (KH-550) was used to connect fullerene (C60) with montmorillonite (MMT) to prepare C60-decorated MMT hybrid (C60-Si-MMT), and the mass ratio of C60 to MMT was about 1:5. PP/C60-Si-MMT composites with the C60-Si-MMT loading that 3.0% by mass were prepared via melt compounding. TG and DSC results showed that C60-Si-MMT could remarkably enhance the onset degradation temperature (Tonset) and the maximum decomposition temperature (Tmax) of PP to 287.9 °C and 394.7 °C, respectively. And the oxidative induced time of PP also greatly extended to 14.4 min. Rheological investigation results and thermogravimetric analysis coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-IR) showed that good dispersive states of C60-Si-MMT in matrix cause C60 trap free radicals and MMT restrict the segment movement of macromolecular chain more effectively.