Abstract: The corn starch was esterified with maleic anhydride via a dry process, which was blended with polycaprolactone (PCL), nano-calcium carbonate (nano-CaCO3) forming composites. Mechanical properties, morphology, crystallization behavior and thermal properties of the composites were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical test, melt flow rate, scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and simultaneous thermogravimetry differential scanning calorimetry. It showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composites first increased and then decreased with the increasing content of nano-CaCO3, and reach maxima when the content of nano-CaCO3 was 6 phr, 49.8 % and 34.8 % higher than CaCO3-free samples, respectively. When esterified starch was used in the composites, melt point, crystallinity, tensile strength, and melt flow rate became higher, however decomposition temperature was a little lower.

Key words: polycaprolactone, esterifid starch, nano calcium carbonate, composite