Effect of Cloisite 30B nanoclay on the mechanical properties of HDPE nanocomposites

Abstract

In the past decades the study of nanocomposites has held the interest of researchers due to their better mechanical properties by the addition of small amounts of filler material called nanoclay. In this study, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was chosen as matrix material and nanoclay as reinforcement material, i. e., Cloisite 30B. HDPE grafted with maleic anhydride (HDPE-g-MA) with 3 wt.-% compatibilizer was used to provide better adhesion between the high-density polyethylene and nanoclay. The nanocomposite materials were prepared by melt compounding in a twin screw extruder with a spindle speed of 50 rpm with zone temperatures. The addition of nanoclay to HDPE was in the range of 0 to 4 wt.-%. The specimens were prepared according to ASTM standard for various mechanical tests like flexural, tensile, hardness, and impact tests using respective dies in the injection molding machine. The scanning electron microscope analysis was used to characterize the ditribution of particles in the nanocomposites. In addition, the effect of five different amounts of nanoclay (0 to 4 wt.-%) on the mechanical properties of HDPE was examined to identify the most effective amount of nanoclay for improving the strength of nanocomposites.