Effect of different compatibilizers and aluminium hydroxide amount on the thermophysical and thermomechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer / aluminium hydroxide composites

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of three different types of commercial available compatibilizers (DuPont^TM Fusabond^Ò P353 Polymer Modifier, Exxelor^TM PO 1020, LIBAID T-2) on the thermal properties of composites based on polypropylene random copolymer / aluminium hydroxide (PP-R/ATH). The influence of the above-mentioned compatibilizers and the ATH amount on the thermophysical and thermomechanical properties of composites based on PP-R/ATH is considered. Thermal properties of the obtained composites were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry and thermomechanical curves. The results of the study show that the content of ATH in the PP-R matrix in the presence of a compatibilizer and without it has a noticeable effect on the regularities of changes in thermophysical and thermomechanical characteristics. With increasing filler content, an increase in the amount of residue corresponding to 700 °C, temperature at the maximum mass loss rate, 50% decomposition temperature, and a decrease in temperature at onset degradation were observed. The effect of the used compatibilizer was not significant to the melting temperature at low amount (5 wt. %) of ATH, however, different results were obtained for high amounts (50 wt. %) of filler. Composites with compatibilizer had lower melting enthalpies than those without compatibilizer.