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Mechanical properties and morphology of polypropylene composites. Talc‐filled, elastomer‐modified polypropylene
Author(s) -
Stamhuis J. E.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.750050308
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , polypropylene , elastomer , talc , izod impact strength test , ethylene propylene rubber , flexural modulus , flexural strength , epdm rubber , copolymer , natural rubber , ultimate tensile strength , polymer
The balance of impact strength and rigidity of polypropylene can be significantly improved by physical blending of the polypropylene with a talc filler and a variety of elastomer types. Unsaturated elastomers were found to be effective impact strength improvers in 70/15/15 percent PP/elastomer/talc composites, whereas saturated elastomers gave rise to a high stiffness of such compounds. This is attributed primarily to different tendencies of the elastomers to coat the filler surface. Studies on a wider range of compositions, using a butadienestyrene‐butadiene (SBS) block copolymer and a ethylene‐propylene‐diene (EPDM) terpolymer as representatives of the two elastomer classes, indicated that at high stiffness levels (flexural modulus > 1.6 GN/m 2 ), the composites with SBS show the best balance of properties, whereas at higher impact levels EPDM leads to a higher rigidity and impact strength. On the basis of morphological studies such differences can be explained qualitatively, in spite of the complex structure of these composites.