INFLUENCE OF ALUMINUM POWDER CONCENTRATION ON MECHANISM AND KINETIC REGULARITIES OF CRYSTALLIZATION OF COMPOSITES BASED ON LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE

Abstract

The results of the study of the influence of the aluminum powder concentration on the mechanism and the regularity of changes in the dependence of specific volume on temperature in the range of 25-180 °C in composites based on low density polyethylene are presented. By extrapolating the upper and lower branches of the dilatometric curve, approximate values of the glass transition temperature of the composites are found. Extrapolation of the lower branch of the dilatometric curve of the considered polymer composites to the absolute temperature allowed us to determine the value of the "occupied" specific volume and the "free" specific volume. Using the step dilatometry method, the temperature of the first-order phase transition of composites was found, which varies depending on the aluminum powder concentration in the composition of low density polyethylene. The concentration of aluminum powder with a particle size 1-2 µm varied between 0.5 – 30 wt. %. It has been established that the loading of 0.5 wt. % of aluminum powder practically does not affect the regularity of change in the dilatometric curve of the initial polymer matrix. At a filler concentration of 1.0 wt. % and higher, a significant change occurs in the regularities of change in these curves, expressed in a decrease in the value of the specific volume of the composites. A sharp decrease in the specific volume or an increase in the density of the composites in viscous-flow and solid states clearly indicated the reinforcing role of aluminum powder. In composites based on low density polyethylene, the dependence of the free specific volume on temperature and on the concentration of aluminum powder is determined. It is shown that an increase in the concentration of aluminum powder in the composition of low density polyethylene is accompanied by a regular decrease in the free volume of the polymer matrix. The obtained data confirms our idea that particles of aluminum powder are involved not only in the formation of heterogeneous crystallization centers, but are also forced into the amorphous region as the spherolite crystalline formations grow. In the coordinates of Avraami, the kinetic regularities of the process of isothermal crystallization in the region of the first-order phase transition are investigated. It has been established that with an increase in the degree of filling of the polymer matrix, the mechanism of crystallization from spherical (three-dimensional) type of growth of crystalline formations passes into a plate-like (two-dimensional) with the continuous formation of crystallization centers. Recommendations are given on the practical use of the results of a study of the crystallization process of composites as applied to the technology of their processing by injection molding.