Effects of Nano-CaCO₃ Content and Surface Treatment on Tensile Properties of PPS/GF Ternary Composites

Abstract

Nanometer calcium carbonate (nano-CaCO₃) filled polyphenylene sulfide (PPS/GF) ternary composites reinforced with glass fiber were fabricated in this paper, and the Young's modulus, tensile strength and tensile elongation at break were measured at room temperature, to identify the influence of the content and surface treatment of the nano-CaCO₃ particles on the tensile mechanical properties of these ternary composites. It was found that the Young's modulus, tensile strength and tensile fracture strength of the composites increased slightly with an addition of the weight fraction (φ _f ) of the nano-CaCO₃ particles, and the maximum increase of them was more than 7.5% at φ _f  = 2%. When φ _f was less than 4%, the tensile elongation at break of the composites increased obviously and then increased gently with an increase of φ _f , and the maximum increase of it was more than 21% at φ _f  = 4%. Relatively, the tensile properties of the PPS/GF/nano-CaCO₃ composite systems for the particle surface treated with titanate coupler were somewhat better than those of the systems for the particle surface treated with stearic acid at the same nano-CaCO₃ content.

Keywords:

• Composite
• Glass fiber
• Nano-CaCO₃
• PPS
• Tensile mechanical property

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported from the plan project of science and technology of Guangdong province (No. 2004A10702004) and the strategic leading project of science and technology of Guangzhou city (No. 2004Z3-D2031).

The authors thank Mr. W.G. Yang who is from South China University of Technology, as well as Mr. G.Q. Luo, Mr. J.S. Lin, Mr. Y.Y. Ni, Mr. J.C. Ye and Ms. D.S. Lu who are from Guangzhou Chemical Industry Research Institute, for their help in this work.