Effect of peroxide cross-linking on viscoelastic behaviour and thermal properties of zeolite filled ethylene vinyl acetate composite

Abstract

In this research, both crosslinked and uncrosslinked zeolite/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) composites were prepared by a melt-mixing process followed by compression molding using a hot press machine according to standard test specimen. For the crosslinking process, dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used as a crosslink agent in the composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed in order to study the viscoelastic properties of the composites and the results indicated that the transition temperatures of crosslinked composites were greater than those of uncrosslinked composites. The values of storage modulus and loss modulus were improved while that of loss tangent was reduced with the presence of DCP in the composites. Earlier, the addition of higher content of zeolite particles had increased the magnitude of elastic modulus and loss modulus of both uncrosslinked and crosslinked composites. However, the intensity of loss tangent peaks decreased. Furthermore, the study of thermal properties of the composites was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results from TGA and DSC showed that the zeolite loading as well as the presence of DCP, had an influence on the thermal stability and crystallinity of EVA/zeolite composites.