Influence of Silica-Compatibilizer-Polypropylene Interactions on Mechanical Behaviour of Their Composite

Abstract

Abstract The minerals application in polymer industry is one of the solutions towards the modification of polymer properties. In this study, the micronized silica was used as filler into the polypropylene (PP) matrix to enhance its mechanical properties. Two compatibilizers; namely: styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer and its grafted maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA) were used and evaluated using statistical design of experiments. The results showed that the addition of silica to the PP matrix substantially improves the mechanical properties of the composite with a drop in strain measures. On the other hand, the addition of the compatibilizer enhances the interfacial bonding and smoothen the stresses transfer between filler particles and the polymeric matrix. Consequently, a remarkable improvement in impact strength and strain was noticed. The statistical analysis showed that the interaction between silica and compatibilizer plays a crucial role in determining the mechanical properties of the final composite.