Synthesis and characterization of novel PPC-silica hybrid with improved thermal, mechanical, and water sorption properties

Organic-inorganic hybrids (H1-H5) based on environmentally friendly and biodegradable polymer, poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were synthesized using the sol-gel technique. The synthesized hybrids were characterized structurally and morphologically by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). H1-H5 were examined in term of detailed thermal, mechanical, and anti-water sorption properties using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) nanoindentation, and thin film diffusion analysis, which revealed that H4 has the highest thermal, mechanical, and anti-water sorption properties. H4 greatly increased the thermal decomposition temperature (T _d10%) and glass transition temperature, which are 45 and 11 °C higher than that of pure PPC. Accordingly, H4 showed a high storage modulus (2.54 × 10⁹ Pa), elastic modulus (2.601 ± 0.110 GPa), hardness (0.175 ± 0.013 GPa), and lowest water absorption. This improvement in the thermal, mechanical, and anti-water absorption properties of PPC shows that PPC can be used as a packaging and bio-material.