Publication: Effect of contact angle on the mechanical properties of kaolin-pp composites
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Date
2009-05-01
Authors
Basir Ahmad, Mohammad Shahrulhafiz
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Abstract
Comodity plastic which is polypropylene (PP) was compounded with surface treated kaolin in a single screw extruder with filler weight fraction of 30% of the total weight of the compound. The kaolin filler were first surface treated with surface treatment agents of stearic acid and silane. The tensile, flexural, impact, contact angle, morphological studies and melt flow index of the composites are measured and studied to evaluate the interfacial interactions in PP/surface treated Kaolin composites. The tensile yield strength is different depending on the surface treatment used. The tensile strength in silane and stearic acid filler treatments shows an increasing in tensile strength. While for the untreated filler, the tensile strength values decreased. Apart from that, flexural modulus is increases ranging from silane treated kaolin to stearic acid treated samples. The melt flow properties of the composite decreases with the type of filler treatment used, ranging from untreated, silane and stearic acid. The measurement of contact angles is calculated from Washburn’s equation using the thin layer wicking methods.