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Study on mechanical properties of perlite‐filled gamma‐irradiated polypropylene
Author(s) -
AkinÖktem G.,
Tanrisinibilir S.,
Tinçer T.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1712
Subject(s) - perlite , polypropylene , materials science , composite material , ultimate tensile strength , irradiation , composite number , elongation , physics , nuclear physics
Abstract This study covers the preparation and characterization of perlite‐filled polypropylene (PP). The compositions of 15, 30, and 50 % by weight perlite–PP composites were prepared by melt‐mixing. The PP used in this study was either applied in the virgin form or γ‐irradiated in air at the doses of 10, 25, 50, and 100 kGy to determine the effect of oxidative degradation in composite properties. Furthermore, the active sites containing oxygen produced by γ‐irradiation in PP may provide a possible enhancement by the interfacial interaction between perlite and PP. An initial sharp drop in torque readings during the melt‐mixing of perlite–PP composite preparation indicated an extensive chain scission and degradation by γ‐irradiation. The thermal properties of the composites were characterized by DSC. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation and also impact strength decreased in all composites with γ‐irradiation. Yet, these changes appeared not to be faster than was the change in unfilled PP upon irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an interfacial adhesion between perlite and irradiated PP while virgin PP did not show any evidence of adhesion. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2670–2678, 2001