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Dynamic rheology and morphology of HDPE‐fumed silica composites: Effect of interface modification
Author(s) -
Nandi Sangita,
Bose Sanjukta,
Mitra Susanta,
Ghosh Anup K.
Publication year - 2013
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.23299
Subject(s) - materials science , fumed silica , high density polyethylene , maleic anhydride , composite material , polyethylene , rheology , dynamic mechanical analysis , filler (materials) , surface modification , copolymer , polymer , chemical engineering , engineering
In the present study, high density polyethylene (HDPE)‐based composites containing different amounts of fumed silica (FS) were prepared by melt compounding in a corotating twin screw extruder. Polyethylene‐ g ‐maleic anhydride copolymer (PE‐ g ‐MA) containing 1 wt% maleic anhydride was used for interface modification between filler and polymer. The interaction between the surface hydroxyl groups of fumed silica nanoparticles with maleic anhydride groups of PE‐ g ‐MA led to a finer dispersion of the filler in the HDPE matrix. The terminal complex viscosity and terminal storage modulus were highest at 1 wt% filler loading due to widely spread network formation by FS nanoparticles. This filler network plausibly got disturbed at higher filler content and/or interface modification which was reflected in their stress relaxation behavior also. The dynamic rheological behavior of the composites was explained in terms of morphological observations. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers