Light weight LDPE composites with surface modified hollow glass microspheres

Hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) are mainly used as an inert low density filler in polymeric matrices. HGMs made of chemically stable soda-lime-borosilicate glass with high crush-strength allow to attain light weight composites with a reduced resin content. The present work is aimed at obtaining low...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Falcone, Giulio, Vignali, Adriano, Utzeri, Roberto, Porta, Gloria, Bertini, Fabio, Stagnaro, Paola, Iannace, Salvatore
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
Adhesion tests
Borosilicate glass
Coupling agents
Density
Fourier transforms
Low density polyethylenes
Melt blending
Microspheres
Modulus of elasticity
Morphology
Organic chemistry
Polymer matrix composites
Rotational molding
Tensile tests
Weight reduction
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) are mainly used as an inert low density filler in polymeric matrices. HGMs made of chemically stable soda-lime-borosilicate glass with high crush-strength allow to attain light weight composites with a reduced resin content. The present work is aimed at obtaining low density polyethylene (LDPE) composites filled with HGMs as suitable light weight material for the manufacturing of plastic items by rotational molding. HGMs were used as such or surface modified by treatment with dodecyl(triethoxy)silane (DDTES), a commercial coupling agent bearing an alkyl chain, in order to enhance compatibility between the inorganic particles and the hydrocarbon polymer matrix. The effectiveness of the silanization process was established using FTIR spectroscopy. LDPE composites at various HGMs content were prepared by melt blending. Morphology of untreated and silane-modified HGMs, their dispersion in the ensuing composites as well as filler/matrix adhesion were investigated by means of SEM microscopy. Uniaxial tensile tests carried out on the composites revealed an increase in the elastic modulus with respect to the neat LDPE and confirmed the good filler/matrix adhesion observed by SEM for the silane-modified HGMs.
ISSN:0094-243X
1551-7616
DOI:10.1063/1.5045993