Novel high performance talc-poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) hybrid materials

New talc/PBAT hybrid materials were prepared through reactive extrusion. First, PBAT was free-radically grafted with MA to improve the interfacial adhesion between PBAT and talc. Then, the resulting MA-g-PBAT was reactively melt-blended with talc through esterification reactions of MA moieties with the silanol functions from talc. Sn(Oct)2 and DMAP were used as catalysts. Interestingly, the tensile properties for these compatibilized composites were improved due to a better interfacial adhesion between both partners. XPS showed the formation of covalent ester bonds between the silanol functions from talc particles, and the MA moieties grafted onto the polyester backbones.