Effect of Methyl Methacrylate– Acrylonitrile -Butadiene–Styrene (MABS) on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA)-Fly Ash Cenospheres (FAC) Filled Composites

M B Kulkarni,P A Mahanwar

doi:10.4236/jmmce.2012.114027

Abstract

With the advent of plastics and the wide range of fillers that are available have made modifications as precise as the tailored resins themselves. To modify the properties of polymer either by using fillers or by preparation of polymer blends gives rise to new materials with tailored properties. More complex, three-component systems, obtained by the addition of polymeric modifier to polymer filled composites may be of interest. Use of Fly ash cenospheres is very attractive because it is inexpensive and its use can reduce the environmental pollution to a significant extent. In the present study, Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA)-Fly ash cenospheres composites were prepared using extrusion followed by Injection molding. The effect of matrix modification with Methyl methacrylate– acrylonitrile -butadiene–styrene (MABS) on the performance of PMMA- Fly ash cenospheres compositions was also, studied. It was found that with the addition of Fly ash cenospheres particulate as filler in PMMA showed marginal reduction in Tensile Strength, % Elongation and Impact strength and improvement in Flexural Strength, Heat Deflection Temperature and Vicat Softening Point. Compared with PMMA-cenospheres composites, the notched Impact Strength of the PMMA/MABS/cenospheres composites showed marginal enhancement in values at higher loading of cenospheres. The optimum performances in mechanical and thermal properties were obtained when the ratio of MABS to cenospheres was 1:2.

Highlights

Property enhancement is usually achieved by fiber reinforcement but some studies show that mechanical properties can improve with the addition of particulate fillers Particulate fillers have played a vital role in the development of commercially viable polymers
The addition of Methyl methacrylate- acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (MABS) makes the Tensile strength of the PMMA/methacrylate– acrylonitrile -butadiene–styrene (MABS)/cenospheres composites fall in all compositions except at 1:2 ratios of MABS/cenospheres as compared to PMMA/cenospheres composites, this being due to low Tensile Strength of 48 MPa of the MABS copolymer
With the addition of MABS, the values of Vicat Softening Point (VST) and Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) increased upto 15% and reduced and the values remain slightly lower than PMMA filled with cenospheres (100 mesh) composites

Summary

Introduction

Property enhancement is usually achieved by fiber reinforcement but some studies show that mechanical properties can improve with the addition of particulate fillers Particulate fillers have played a vital role in the development of commercially viable polymers. Do they provide a significant cost reduction but certain fillers may improves various properties of the materials such as mechanical strength, modulus and heat deflection temperature, material processing and its optical properties. In a pulverized coal fired boiler, the furnace operating temperatures are typically in excess of 1,400 °C (≌ 2,500 °F). Rapid cooling in the post combustion zone results in the formation of spherical, amorphous particles

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