Silver sulfide/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) nanocomposites: Thermal stability and kinetic analysis of thermal degradation

摘要

The non-isothermal degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and silver sulfide/poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate) (Ag_2S/PHB) nanocomposites was investigated using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. In the composite materials, Ag_2S caused the degradation of PHB at a lower temperature as opposed to that of neat PHB. Moreover, an increase Ag_2S loading in the PHB decreased the onset temperature (T_(onset)) of thermal degradation, whereas it was raised upon augmenting the heating rate. From Kissinger plots, the observed trend of the degradation activation energy, E_d, was attributed to polymer-particle surface interactions and the agglomeration of Ag_2S. The thermal degradation rate constant, k, was linearly related to the Ag_2S loading in PHB. Thus, the Ag_2S nanoparticles effectively catalyzed the thermal degradation of PHB in the Ag_2S/PHB nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data also supported the catalytic property of Ag_2S.