| Abstract: | The fracture behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) filled with ground calcium carbonate particles during a tensile test was studied. The particles were prepared by crushing natural raw crystalline limestone. For this purpose, 10–50 parts of the particles having two different mean sizes (2 and 8 μm) without further surface treatment were mixed with 100 parts of poly(vinyl chloride) and 3 parts of lead stearate as a stabilizer using a mixing roll. A tensile test was carried out using a dumbbell specimen. As a result, the yield stress decreased with increase in the particle content; however, there was no significant influence of particle size. From scanning electron microscopic observations of the specimen's surfaces during the tensile test, it was found that the particle/matrix interfaces were delaminated and formed voids around the particles when the applied stress approached the yield stress, that is, the particles acted as voids and the matrix around the voids was plastically deformed effectively. These observations appear to be the reason for the decrease of yield stress by the incorporation of the particles. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 70: 311–316, 1998 |
