Silanization of di-n-octyldichlorosilane as a route to improve the integration of titanium dioxide in polypropylene

In this work, a di-n-alkyldichlorosilane (di-n-octyldichlorosilane) was used as an agent to improve the integration of titanium dioxide particles into isotactic polypropylene (iPP) matrix. The thermal stability of the silane coating was studied to confirm the applicability of these particles under extrusion temperature; we found by infrared spectrometry and mass spectroscopy that silanization remains stable at temperatures around 400 °C. The non-isothermal analysis of the crystallization process, conducted by differential scanning calorimetry, showed a decrement in the energetic requirements to complete the process when we used the silanized particles and filled the iPP at 0.5% in mass. Also, these silanized particles demonstrate the capability to be a selective α nucleating agent in comparison with the neat TiO 2 particles that showed a slight portion of β crystals according to the wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis. Graphical abstract