Mechanical and thermal properties of talc and calcium carbonate filled polypropylene hybrid composites

The main aim of this work was to study and compare the mechanical and thermal properties of hybrid polypropylene (PP) composites and single‐filler PP composites. With two main types of mineral fillers—calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and talc—PP composites of different filler weight ratios (talc/CaCO₃) were compounded with a twin‐screw extruder and then injection‐molded into dumbbell specimens with an injection‐molding machine. Tensile, flexural, and impact tests were performed to determine and compare the mechanical properties of the hybrid and single‐filler PP composites. A synergistic hybridization effect was successfully achieved; the flexural strength and impact strength were highest among the hybrids when the PP/talc/CaCO₃ weight ratio was 70:15:15. The nucleating ability of the fillers and its effects on the mechanical properties were also studied with differential scanning calorimetry. Because of the influence of talc as the main nucleating agent, the hybrid fillers showed significant improvements in terms of the nucleating ability, and this contributed to the increase in or retention of the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3327–3336, 2004     

mPE弹性体增韧改性PP力学性能的研究

用茂金属聚乙烯（mPE)弹性体代替传统的弹性体,对聚丙烯（PP）的增韧改性进行了研究。探讨了橡塑比和mPE的牌号对共混物力学性能的影响;并对不同的弹性体的增韧效果做了对比研究。结果表明,与传统的弹性体相比,mPE增韧改性的PP显示出卓越的低温冲击性能。     

Comparison of the mechanical properties and interfacial interactions between talc,kaolin, and calcium carbonate filled polypropylene composites

Three types of mineral fillers—talc, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), and kaolin (10–40 wt % filler loadings)—were compounded with polypropylene (PP) with a twin‐screw extruder. The composites were injection‐molded, and the effects of the filler loading on the mechanical, flow, and thermal properties for the three different types of filled composites were investigated. The aim was to compare their properties and to deduce prospective filler combinations that would yield hybrid PP composites in following studies. The results showed that in most cases, the strength and stiffness of the talc‐filled PP composites was significantly higher than those of the CaCO₃‐ and kaolin‐filled PP composites. However, CaCO₃, being a nonreactive filler, increased the toughness of PP. The kaolin‐filled PP composites also showed some improvement in terms of strength and stiffness, although the increases in these properties were not as significant as those of the talc‐filled PP composites. The effects of interfacial interactions between the fillers and PP on the mechanical properties were also evaluated with semiempirical equations. The nucleating ability of all three fillers was studied with differential scanning calorimetry, and the strongest nucleating agent of the three was talc, followed by CaCO₃ and kaolin. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3315–3326, 2004     

Processing and mechanical properties of organic filler–polypropylene composites

The addition of organic fillers into thermoplastic polymers is an interesting issue, which has had growing consideration and experimentation during the last years. It can give rise to several advantages. First, the cost of these fillers is usually very low. Also, the organic fillers are biodegradable (thus contributing to an improved environmental impact), and finally, some mechanical and thermomechanical properties can be enhanced. In this study, the effect of the addition of different organic fillers on the mechanical properties and processability of an extrusion‐grade polypropylene were investigated. The organic fillers came from natural sources (wood, kenaf, and sago) and were compared to short glass fibers, a widely used inorganic filler. The organic fillers caused enhancements in the rigidity and thermomechanical resistance of the matrix in a way that was rather similar to the one observed for the inorganic filler. A reduction in impact strength was observed for both types of fillers. The use of an adhesion promoter could improve their behavior. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1906–1913, 2005     

Volume strain measurements on CACO3/polypropylene particulate composites: The effect of particle size

The use of rigid fillers to toughen polymers has received considerable attention in recent years. The role of the rigid particle here is that of debonding, at some stage, from the matrix, thus triggering dilatational processes similar to those observed in rubber‐toughened polymers. The role of particle size in these rigid filled composites has not been studied in great detail. In this work, volume strain measurements were carried out on a series of particulate composites based on polypropylene filled with calcium carbonate (CC) particles with average diameters of 0.07, 0.7, and 3.5 μm and filler volume fractions ranging from 0.05 to 0.30. The experimental results have shown a strong particle size effect. A model is proposed to take this effect into account, based upon the formation of an immobilized layer of polymer on the surface of the filler particles. The experimental results are consistent with a surface layer of 15–25 nm. The results are discussed in relation to the fracture behavior of these composites reported earlier. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 925–935, 2004     

Effect of chemical treatments on the mechanical,flow, and morphological properties of talc‐ and kaolin‐filled polypropylene hybrid composites

This study was performed with commercially available phenyl trimethoxysilane (PTMS) and neoalkoxytitanate [i.e., neopentyl(diallyl)oxytri(dioctyl)phosphato titanate (LICA 12)] as coupling agents. PTMS and LICA 12 were used to treat talc and kaolin to compare their effects with untreated fillers upon incorporation into polypropylene (PP). Single‐filler PP composites (containing either talc or kaolin) and hybrid‐filler composites (containing a mix of both talc and kaolin) were compounded in a twin‐screw extruder and subsequently injection‐molded into dumbbells. The incorporation of PTMS and LICA 12 slightly decreased the tensile and flexural properties in terms of modulus and strength but increased the elongation at break for both single‐filler and hybrid‐filler composites. There was also a significant improvement in the impact strength of the composites, particularly those treated with LICA 12. The hybrid composites, through the synergistic coalescence of positive characteristics from talc and kaolin with the aid from chemical treatment provided an economically advantageous material with mechanical properties comparable to those of the single‐filler‐filled PP composites. Further investigations on flow and morphological properties were also done to correlate the mechanical properties of the single‐ and hybrid‐filler‐filled PP composites. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Mechanical properties of Mg(OH)2/polypropylene composites modified by functionalized polypropylene

Modified Mg(OH)₂/polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared by the addition of functionalized polypropylene (FPP); and acrylic acid (AA) and by the formation of in situ FPP. The effects of the addition of FPP and AA and the formation of in situ FPP on the mechanical properties of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the addition of Mg(OH)₂ markedly reduced the mechanical properties of PP. The extent of reduction in notch impact strength of PP was higher than that in flexural strength and tensile strength. However, tensile modulus and flexural modulus increased with increased Mg(OH)₂ content. The addition of FPP facilitated the improvement in the flexural strength and tensile strength of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. The higher the Mg(OH)₂ content was, the more significant the effect of FPP was. The incorporation of AA resulted in further increased mechanical properties, in particular the flexural strength, tensile strength, and notch impact strength of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites containing high levels of Mg(OH)₂. It not only improved mechanical properties but also increased the flame retardance of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. Although the mechanical properties of composites modified by the formation of in situ FPP were lower than those of composites modified by only the addition of AA in the absence of diamylperoxide, the mechanical properties did not decline with increased Mg(OH)₂ content. Moreover, the mechanical properties increased with increasing AA content. The addition of an oxidation resistant did not influence the mechanical properties of the modified Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2139–2147, 2003     

Effect of a macromolecular coupling agent on the properties of aluminum hydroxide/PP composites

Polypropylene (PP)/aluminum hydroxide (ATH) composites were prepared in a melt mixer with addition of polypropylene functionalized with vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) as a coupling agent. The effects of ATH and PP‐VTES on the melt flow indices (MFI), tensile properties, decomposition temperatures, and flame retardancy of composites were analyzed. It was verified that increased ATH concentration reduced MFI and tensile properties, but increased the decomposition temperature under oxidative atmosphere and improved the flammability properties. Addition of PP modified with VTES slightly improved tensile strength and maximum elongation and granted the best results for the flammability tests of the materials showing that it can be an effective coupling agent for PP/ATH composites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1799–1805, 2006     

Effect of the talc filler content on the mechanical properties of polypropylene composites

This research examines the effect of a microsize/nanosize talc filler on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of filled polypropylene (108MF10 and 33MBTU from Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and HE125MO grade from Borealis) composite matrices. A range of mechanical properties were measured [tensile properties, bending properties, fracture toughness, notched impact strength (at the ambient temperature and ?20°C), strain at break, and impact strength] along with microhardness testing and thermal stability testing from 40 to 600°C as measured by differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Increasing filler content lead to an increase in the mechanical strength of the composite material with a simultaneous decrease in the fracture toughness. The observed increase in tensile strength ranged from 15 to 25% (the maximum tensile strength at break was found to be 22 MPa). The increase in mechanical strength simultaneously led to a higher brittleness, which was reflected in a decrease in the mean impact strength from the initial 18 kJ/m² (for the virgin polypropylene sample) to 14 kJ/m², that is, a 23% decrease. A similar dependency was also obtained for the samples conditioned at ?20°C (a decrease of 12.5%). With increasing degree of filling of the talc–polypropylene composite matrix, the thermooxidative stability increased; the highest magnitude was obtained for the 20 wt % sample (decomposition temperature = 482°C, cf. 392°C for the virgin polymer). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Thermal and thermomechanical properties of biocomposites made from modified recycled cellulose and recycled polypropylene

Residual cellulose fibers from the paper industry have been used as reinforcements in recycled polypropylene (PP) composites. The main obstacle to obtaining good properties with this biocomposite is deficiencies in the compatibility between the nonpolar matrices and the polar cellulose fibers used as reinforcements. The aim of this work was to improve the compatibilization between these cellulose fibers and the PP matrix with four different methods: modification by the addition of polypropylene–maleic anhydride copolymer (PPgMA) during the process of blending, preblending modification of the cellulose with a solution of PPgMA, modification of cellulose by silanes (vinyltrimethoxysilane), and acetylation of cellulose. Blends with all of the differently modified celluloses were prepared with the cellulose content varied up to 40%, and then all of the blends were subjected to thermal (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis) and thermomechanical (dynamic mechanical thermal analysis) analyses. The results showed that the addition of cellulose fibers improved the thermomechanical behavior of the PP, increasing the value of the log of the dynamic modulus, and affected the thermal and thermooxidative behavior. Moreover, an advantage of the use of a recycled PP containing a small quantity of ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) as a prime material in the composition was the enhancement of mechanical properties. The use of these methods for the modification of cellulose led to more desirable thermal and thermooxidative stabilities. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2353–2360, 2003     

CacO3在PP和PP/mPE共混物基体中的作用比较

研究CaCO3填料在取丙烯（PP）和茂金属聚乙烯（mPE)弹性体增韧PP共混物（PP／mPE)2种基体中的不同作用。结果表明：在PP基体中，填料显著提高其刚性，而在共混物基体中，由于弹性体的存在，填料的增强作用减弱；弹性体能够改善填料粒子和基体的界面粘合，增大弹性体分散相的尺寸，使PP/mPE共混物的拉伸断裂韧性提高。低温下（－30℃）的Charpy缺口冲击实验表明：少量的CaCO3即可导致PP/mPE体系冲击强度的迅速下降。     

Correlation of the material properties of calcium carbonate filled polypropylene with the filler surface energies

The physical and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) were measured and compared with those of PP composites filled with calcium carbonate modified with sodium polyacrylate, stearic acid, or both. The variations in the mechanical properties showed a high degree of correlation with the surface energies of the fillers, as determined by inverse gas chromatography. The results confirmed the usefulness of inverse gas chromatography for characterizing the compatibility of polymer–filler combinations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1951–1955, 2003     

Comparison of mechanical properties of PP/SEBS blends at intermediate and high strain rates with SiO2 nanoparticles vs. CaCO3 fillers

The present article focuses on the effect of two types of inorganic fillers (SiO₂ and CaCO₃) on the mechanical properties of PP/SEBS blend. The nominal particle diameters of SiO₂ and CaCO₃ are 7 nm and 1 μm, respectively. The studied blend ratios were PP/SEBS/SiO₂ (CaCO₃) = 75/22/3 and 73/21/6 vol %. The morphology of polymer blends was observed and the distributions of the SEBS, SiO₂, and CaCO₃ particles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile tests were conducted at nominal strain rates from 3 × 10^?1 to 10² s^?1. The apparent elastic modulus has the local strain‐rate dependency caused by SiO₂ nanoparticles around SEBS particles in the blend of PP/SEBS/SiO₂. The yield stress has weak dependency of morphology. The absorbed strain energy has strong dependency of the location of SiO₂ nanoparticle or CaCO₃ fillers and SEBS particle in the morphology. It is considered that such morphology, in which inorganic nanoparticles are located around SEBS particles, can prevent the brittle fracture while the increased local strain rate can enhance the apparent elastic modulus of the blend at the high strain rate. On the basis of the results of this study, the location and size of inorganic nanoparticles are the most important parameters to increase the elastic modulus without decreasing the material ductility of the blend at both low and high strain rates. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Ink‐eliminated waste paper sludge flour‐filled polypropylene composites with different coupling agent treatments

Ink‐eliminated sludge flour (IESF), waste residue from the recycling treatments of waste paper, was utilized as a new kind of filler to reinforce polypropylene (PP) in this research work. Different coupling agents, including maleated anhydride grafted PP (MAPP), stearic acid (SA), and titanate (NDZ‐101), were used to increase the compatibility between IESF and PP. By using different measurements, the microstructure, morphology, thermal behaviors, and mechanical properties of the IESF/PP composites were investigated in detail. It was found that IESF, as a nucleation agent, not only induced the crystallization orientation of PP but also accelerate the crystallization rate of PP. Just as indicated in the experiments, the presence of IESF has shown the advantages of increasing the dimensional stability, the hardness and the flexural property, and the presence of coupling agents has a favorable effect on the improvement of dimensional stability. Moreover, the coupling agent has minor influence on the mechanical property, even causes some decrease in the impact strength. Among these three coupling agents, MAPP is found to be the best coupling agent for increasing the interfacial adhesion between IESF and PP, and the MAPP addition makes the PP composite possess the quickest crystallization rate and greatest tensile strength. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 513–520, 2003     

Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene as a coupling agent for polypropylene composites filled with ink‐eliminated waste paper sludge flour

Ink‐eliminated sludge flour (IESF), a waste residue from the recycling treatment of waste paper, is a promising new kind of filler for thermoplastic polymers with a good price/performance ratio and advantages for environmental protection. In this study, high‐impact polypropylene (PP) and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) were chosen as a polymer matrix and a coupling agent, respectively, for the preparation of IESF/PP composites, and the structures and properties of the obtained composites were also investigated. The experimental results revealed that IESF not only induced the crystallization orientation of PP along the b axis but also had a restraining effect on the formation of the β phase during the recrystallization of PP from the melt; the addition of MAPP further strengthened this effect to some extent. In addition, the proper addition of MAPP was helpful for improving the thermal stability of the IESF/PP composites. With the strengthening of the interfacial interaction between the IESF and PP matrix by MAPP, the resultant efficient stress transfer from the PP matrix to the IESF particles led to increased tensile and flexural strength. However, the original greater rigidity of MAPP, with respect to PP, reduced the toughness of the composites and caused some negative effects on the impact strength and the elongation at break. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2320–2325, 2004     

Effect of the delignification of wood fibers on the mechanical properties of wood fiber–polypropylene composites

The effect of the delignification of hornbeam fibers on the mechanical properties of wood fiber–polypropylene (PP) composites was studied. Original fibers and delignified fibers at three levels of delignification were mixed with PP at a weight ratio of 40:60 in an internal mixer. Maleic anhydride (0.5 wt %) as the coupling agent and dicumyl peroxide (0.1 wt %) as the initiator were applied. The produced composites were then hot‐pressed, and specimens for physical and mechanical testing were prepared. The results of the properties of the composite materials indicate that delignified fibers showed better performance in the enhancement of tensile strength and tensile modulus, whereas the hardness of the composites was unaffected by delignification. Delignified fibers also exhibited better water absorption resistance. Notched impact strength was higher for delignified fiber composites, but it was reduced at higher delignification levels. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4759–4763, 2006     

A study on synergistic reinforcing effect of halloysite nanotubes/diatomite mixture-filled polymer (PP and PA6) composites

In this paper, the nanotubular halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)/disc-shaped diatomite mixture (HD) was used to study the synergistic reinforcing effect of the filler in polymer matrix (PP and PA6). The structure of the HNTs/diatomite mixture filler-filled polymer composites with different proportions of HNTs/diatomite was determined by XRD and SEM. The mechanical performance of the composites was extensively investigated. The results indicated that the HNTs/diatomite mixture filler with different shapes could significantly reinforce the mechanical performance of polymer regardless of whatever it was filled in — PP or PA6. The synergistic reinforcing effect of HNTs/diatomite mixture filler in polymer matrix was verified.     

Mechanical properties and morphology of PP/ABS blends compatibilized with PP‐g‐2‐HEMA

Polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends of different composition were prepared using a single‐screw extruder. The binary blend of PP/ABS was observed to be incompatible and shows poor mechanical properties. PP‐g‐2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2‐HEMA) was used as a compatibilizer for the PP/ABS blends. The ternary compatibilized blends of PP/ABS/PP‐g‐2‐HEMA showed improvement in the mechanical properties. Electron micrographs of these blends showed a homogeneous and finer distribution of the dispersed phase. The mechanical performance increased particularly in the PP‐rich blend. The 2.5‐phr (part per hundred of resin) compatibilizer was observed to bring improvement to the properties. The suitability of various existing theoretical models for the predication of the tensile moduli of these blends was examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 72–78, 2003     

PP／mPE／无机填料三元复合材料的形态结构和力学性能

采用刚性无机填料对茂金属聚乙烯（mPE)弹性体增韧聚丙烯（PP）二元共混体系进行增强，从而制得PP／mPE无机填料三元复合材料。分别探讨了CaCO3用量对复合材料拉伸性能和低温冲击性能影响，并考察了不同填料的增强效果。实验结果表明，由于弹性体的存在，无机填料的增强作用减弱；共混物的低温冲击强度也因填料的加入而大幅度下降，但经过表面处理的高岭土体系的冲击强度反而提高。SEM断裂形貌显示，未经表面处理的填料和基体的界面结合较弱，而改性高岭土则以层状结构分散于基体中，并呈现牢固的界面结合。     

New hyperdispersant agent for polypropylene/CaSO4 composites

A new hyperdispersant agent with Si? OH as an anchoring group and poly(butyl acrylate) as a solvatable chain was synthesized, and its effect on the properties of polypropylene (PP)/CaSO₄ composites was investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the hyperdispersant agent reacted on the CaSO₄ surface and the modified CaSO₄ particles. The tensile strength and impact strength of the PP/CaSO₄ composites increased about 14 and 34%, respectively, versus that of PP/CaSO₄ (filled with the same unmodified fraction). According to surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy, the CaSO₄ particles were buried well in the PP matrix when CaSO₄ was coated with the hyperdispersant agent. CaSO₄ significantly increased the crystallization temperature and crystallization rate of PP by differential scanning calorimetry, but the addition of hyperdispersant‐agent‐modified CaSO₄ did not lead to the formation of crystalline PP through X‐ray diffraction. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009