Quality control of mixing components of energy-saturated heterogeneous composite material

Abstract

Methods of direct and indirect assessment of the quality of mixing dispersed solid-phase components in a liquid polymer binder are considered. It is shown that a number of methods for the quantitative estimation of mixing (associated with the extraction of solid-phase components), which have been developed in other areas of the technology of materials, are not suitable for controlling an energy-saturated heterogeneous composite material (EHCM). An experimental method revealed the criteria values (a range) of the EHCM density and determined the main groups of the EHCM characteristics, ensuring their acceptable operational properties. By means of modern research equipment using proven methods, a series of studies was carried out to establish the uniformity of the distribution of particles of solid-phase components in the EHCM, the presence, the shape, sizes and distribution in the volume of defects in the structure of the material, the physicomechanical properties of the EHCM after polymerization. According to a comparison of the results of instrumental determination of the main characteristics of the EHCM (structural, physical) with the operational properties of the material, depending on the duration of the mixing process on a specific equipment under otherwise equal conditions, it was found that for the successful solution of technological tasks it is acceptable to assess indirectly the quality of mixing according to the results of density determination of the EHCM after its polymerization. This can provide operational output quality control of the final product that does not require significant material and time costs during the development of technological processes and during the production of the EHCM.