Electronic devices require the use of antistatic packing to prevent electrostatic discharge during their storage or transport. Poly (trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) is a polyester with excellent properties and can be a good candidate for this application. To make this insulating polymer an extrinsic conductor, carbon nanotubes (CNT) can be added to reduce the electrical resistivity of the nanocomposites. In order to facilitate the CNT distribution on polymeric matrix, it was proposed a chemical functionalization using nitric acid for the creation of functional groups on its surface. Moreover, the PTT matrix was modified with a compatibilizer agent based on maleic anhydride grafted PTT (PTT-g-MA), to improve interfacial adhesion between the nanofiller and matrix. In this work, nanocomposites based on PTT/PTT-g-MA/CNT were prepared by extrusion process, with 0.5 wt% and 1.0 wt% of CNT and functionalized CNT. CNT was characterized by stability dispersion in water, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and XPS analysis, which prove the success of functionalization. The nanocomposites were evaluated by thermal analysis, tensile tests, electrical conductivity, and morphological analysis. The CNT functionalization and the addition of PTT-g-MA increased the dispersion and distribution of CNT in the PTT matrix. The electrical properties show that this material can be used as an antistatic packaging.

The use of polymeric materials for the sustainable packaging sector is constantly improving due to meet the required properties for the application. However, most polymers come from non-renewable sources and can harm the environment, if inappropriately disposed. Therefore, this study aims to develop environmentally friendly composites based on polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polymer, reinforced with different contents (0, 5, and 15 wt%) of wood flour (WF), a residue of the timber industry. The samples were processed using a co-rotational twin screw extruder, followed by hot pressing. Water absorption test, contact angle, thermal aging test, Izod impact resistance, tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were performed. By the results, it was possible to verify that the presence of WF contributed to the degradation by hydrolysis due to its hydrophilic character. As the WF content increased, mainly for the PCL/15 wt% WF composite, the material became rigid due to a 61% increase in the Young’s modulus in relation to the neat PCL. The composite’s morphology characteristics showed good interfacial adhesion of the WF with the PCL matrix. The PCL/5 wt% WF composite showed very satisfactory results in terms of mechanical and thermal properties, in addition to a good interaction with the PCL matrix.