Abstract
Isotactic polypropylene (PP) with different concentrations of mica (20, 40 and 60% by weight) were prepared by injection moulding under identical conditions. The influence of mica concentration on the microstructure and fracture propagation in the composites was investigated. Microstructural studies revealed that mica concentration influences the flake orientation and alters the skin-core zone thicknesses. Virgin PP and its composites with mica exhibited brittle failure at −30° C. At 25° C, all the composites showed stable crack growth, even with 60% mica loading. At 80° C the composites exhibited stable crack growth but the ductility decreased with increasing mica concentration. The influence of mica content, as well as temperature, on normalized modulus and the fracture toughness (K c) of the composites were studied. This study attempts to correlate mica concentration and polymer morphology with fracture propagation.
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Xavier, S.F., Schultz, J.M. & Friedrich, K. Fracture propagation in particulate-filled polypropylene composites. J Mater Sci 25, 2421–2427 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00638036
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00638036