Abstract:
Organic fillers like carbon black (C13) and inorganic fillers like talc (T) were separately
incorporated in high density polycthylcne (HOPE) in order to fabricate HOPECB and HDPET
cOlllpositcs. /\ pure HDPE and two series of composites, such as HDPECBO.5, HOPECB I,
IIlWLCI310, 1I0PEC1320, 1I0PEC1340 and HOPETO.5, HOPET I, I.IOPET 10. IIOPET20
and IIDPET40 having 0.5, 1.0, 10, 20 and 40 wt % filler contents were fabricated by means
of an extrusion molding method followed by a compression molding technique at 160°e.
The prepared samples \-vere characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRO) technique, mechanical
tcst. mieromcehanical test and thcrmal tcst. Analyses of XRD data reveal that the crystalline
structure of pure HOPE is found to be orthorhombic, which remains unehangcd by the
inclusion of both types of fillers. Although the crystallinity and crystallite size of the samples
are observed to increase with thc increase of both reinforcemcnts, this increase is larger for
C8 than for talc. The observcd tensile strcngth (TS), flcxural strcngth (FS), Young's modulus
(Y) and tangcnt modulus (G) of pure HOPE are 23, 25, 335 and 969 MPa, respectively. The
7s' FS, Vane! G values lor HDPECB40 are 21, 48,1616 and 3149 MPa and for HDPET40
arc 23, 12. 1457 and 2153, respectively. Thus the Yand G incrcase for these two composites
is several hundreds perccntage from those of pure I-lOPE. The microhardncss of the samples
is observed to increase with both types of lillers, indicating the maximum hardncss increase
of 262 and 10 I% for 1-lDpr::CI340 and HDPET40 from HOPE, respectively. The melting
tcmperature of flOPET and IIDPECB composites is similar to that 01' HDPE, whereas the
onset temperature of degradation and the degradation temperature of CB loaded composites
are examined to show higher value than that of pure HOPE and talc loaded HI)PE
composites. /\11 these findings strongly indicate a better mechanical, mieromechanical and
thermal performance of the reinforced composites, where the influence 01' CB reinforcement
in III)PE is superior to talc.
