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Comparison of mechanical properties of PP/SEBS blends at intermediate and high strain rates with SiO 2 nanoparticles vs. CaCO 3 fillers
Author(s) -
Mae Hiroyuki,
Omiya Masaki,
Kishimoto Kikuo
Publication year - 2008
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.28724
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , nanoparticle , strain rate , ductility (earth science) , elastic modulus , ultimate tensile strength , brittleness , morphology (biology) , particle size , modulus , particle (ecology) , polymer blend , polymer , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , copolymer , creep , oceanography , biology , geology , engineering , genetics
The present article focuses on the effect of two types of inorganic fillers (SiO 2 and CaCO 3 ) on the mechanical properties of PP/SEBS blend. The nominal particle diameters of SiO 2 and CaCO 3 are 7 nm and 1 μm, respectively. The studied blend ratios were PP/SEBS/SiO 2 (CaCO 3 ) = 75/22/3 and 73/21/6 vol %. The morphology of polymer blends was observed and the distributions of the SEBS, SiO 2 , and CaCO 3 particles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile tests were conducted at nominal strain rates from 3 × 10 −1 to 10 2 s −1 . The apparent elastic modulus has the local strain‐rate dependency caused by SiO 2 nanoparticles around SEBS particles in the blend of PP/SEBS/SiO 2 . The yield stress has weak dependency of morphology. The absorbed strain energy has strong dependency of the location of SiO 2 nanoparticle or CaCO 3 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