Effect of oil palm boiler ash modified with PEG 6000 on mechanical properties of high density polyethylene

Abstract

The mechanical properties of material play an essential role in the material. Mechanical properties are one of the properties possessed by a material to function for various applications. Using nanostructured materials such as silica and layered silicates as fillers can significantly change the properties of the polymer matrix. OPBA preparation was carried out using calcination and ball mill methods, coprecipitation, and the addition of PEG 6000. Various methods were carried out to obtain OPBA with optimal silica content. HDPE thermoplastic was prepared with OPBA filler by mixing HDPE thermoplastic with OPBA nanoparticles modified with PEG 6000. SEM OPBA calcination and ball mill show the presence of pores on the surface. Meanwhile, the pore in OPBA does not lead to coprecipitation. However, in OPBA with added PEG 6000, it was seen again that there were pores on the surface and the presence of agglomerate dispersions in OPBA preparation with PEG 6000 showed the addition of functional groups to OPBA. The dispersion peaks of the silica contained in OPBA with state characteristics at 20o–30o appear in the XRD patterns of unmodified silica and modified silica, indicating that the precipitated silica is amorphous silica and the surface modification does not change the phase structure of the modified silica. In addition, the optimal silica content is found in OPBA PEG 6000, with a silica content of 60.7%. The addition of OPBA PEG 6000 filler generally increases the mechanical properties of tensile strength, elongation at break, and elongation modulus.