Nanocomposites of poly(vinylidene fluoride) with oxide nanoparticles for barrier layers of flexible pipes

Abstract

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with commercial rutile-TiO2, SiO2, α-Al2O3, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared via extrusion using different contents, from 0.1 to 10 wt.%. The effect of the nanoparticles in the matrix on several material characteristics, such as the thermal and mechanical properties, crystallinity degree, and permeability to CO2, were examined. X-ray diffraction and infrared analyses revealed that the successful incorporation of increasing amounts of nanoparticles in the PVDF matrix reduced the total crystallinity but increased the β-phase content in almost all nanocomposites, suggesting an improved interaction between filler and polymer. The degree of crystallinity was between 30 and 38%, and good stability to thermal degradation of the obtained. The highlight of the present work is the observation that PVDF/rutile-TiO2 and PVDF/SiO2 nanocomposites showed an increased barrier to CO2 compared with PVDF. Such a conclusion tends to demonstrate that rutile-TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles associated with PVDF resulted in materials applicable in the barrier layer of flexible risers.