TITLE:
Effects of Reinforcement Combinations of Calcium Carbonate Nanofiller on the Mechanical and Creep Properties of Polypropylene
AUTHORS:
Chris Chukwutoo Ihueze, Chinedum Ogonna Mgbemena
KEYWORDS:
volume fraction, nanofiller, mechanical and creep properties, minimum creep rate, minimum creep strength, limit strain.
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.9 No.10,
October
20,
2010
ABSTRACT: This paper investigated the effects of calcium cabonate nanofiller on the mechanical behavior of
homo polypropylene by conducting tensile and creep tests. The Young’s Modulus of the
nanocomposite showed some improvement with the incorporation of the calcium carbonate
nano-filler while the tensile strength deteriorated. The stearic acid coated fillers showed the
highest improvement in the above tensile properties at low volume fractions not exceeding 0.10
while the deformation rate increases with the inclusion of the nanofiller. The creep parameters
evaluated include optimum elastic modulus estimated as 2GPa at 10% volume fraction, creep
rate at ambient as 0.004-0.043hr-1, and creep limit at ambient as 60-113MPa as opposed to the tensile strength of PPC predicted as 45MPa for treated and 37.5MPa for untreated, all as against 123MPa for neat and unreinforced PP, though at 0.05 volume fraction the tensile
strength was evaluated as 140MPa and 133.3MPa for coated and uncoated PPC respectively.