Fabrication and characterization of poly(butylene succinate)‐grafted carbon fiber/poly(L‐lactide) nanocomposites

A new poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)‐grafted vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF)/poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by an in situ condensation reaction between PBS (M_w = 6,000) and surface oxidized VGCF, followed by direct melt mixing technique, and their mechanical and thermal properties were evaluated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies indicate a chemical interaction between the PBS and the surface of VGCF. It was found that the maximum tensile strength and modulus of PBS‐grafted VGCF/PLLA nanocomposites were 135 MPa (27% increase relative to neat PLLA) and 4,400 MPa (29% increase relative to neat PLLA), respectively. The results indicate that significant improvement in the mechanical properties can be accomplished by optimizing the surface modification conditions for VGCF. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4433–4441, 2008