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Effect of weakly interacting nanofiller on the morphology and viscoelastic response of polyolefins
Author(s) -
Kalfus Jan,
Jancar Josef,
Kucera Jaroslav
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.21030
Subject(s) - materials science , crystallinity , high density polyethylene , fumed silica , composite material , nanocomposite , polypropylene , low density polyethylene , differential scanning calorimetry , dynamic mechanical analysis , polyethylene , morphology (biology) , viscoelasticity , polymer , thermodynamics , physics , genetics , biology
Effect of silica nanofiller on the deformation response and morphology of low‐ and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE) and isotactic polypropylene (PP) modified with fumed silica was investigated. The dynamic‐mechanical thermal spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and density measurements were carried out to determine the temperature dependence of storage and loss moduli as well as nanocomposite morphology. It was demonstrated that the degree of matrix reinforcement is considerably affected by the extent of matrix crystallinity, especially, in the temperature range from ( T m –130°C) to T m . Based on experimental evidence and literature review, it is proposed that this phenomenon may be attributed to the alpha‐mechanical relaxation process occurring above matrix T g . As a result of adding silica into the melted matrix, mobility of chains in contact with silica particles became reduced. This caused substantial changes in morphology of these semicrystalline nanocomposites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers