Abstract
The addition of micron-sized mineral particulates into thermoplastic polymers results in the reduction of tensile strength and elongation to break but an increase in stiffness. The aforesaid performance enhancement is usually obtained at high filler concentration which might bring about a deterioration in the processability. Application of nanoparticulat fillers might be an appropriate alternative. The key problem is to figure out a way to break down the nanoparticle agglomerates. Grafting polymerization onto the surfaces of inorganic nanaoparticles proved to be an effective pretreatment method. The present report is focused on examining the deformation behaviour of the nanocomposites under tensile loading, with the objective of providing more phenomenological information. The filler is fumed silica. Styrene and ethyl acrylate are used as grafting monomers. On the basis of the results and analysis presented here, it can be concluded that the interfacial interaction between the nanoparticle agglomerates pretreated by graft polymerization and the matrix polymer are greatly enhanced. Consequently, the nanoparticle agglomerates in the composites exhibit remarkable extensibility when the composites are subjected to force. This improves the mechanical performance of the polymer composites, especially the static toughness.