Effects of Silica, Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Poly(methyl methacrylate)-Grafted-Silica Nanoparticles on the Physical Properties of Plasticized-Poly(vinyl chloride)

Abstract

Nanocomposites of plasticized-poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) filled with different contents (3-9 parts by weight per hundred of PVC resin) of nanosilica (nSiO₂), nanosized poly(methyl methacrylate) (nPMMA) and PMMA-grafted-nanosilica (PMMA-nSiO₂) were investigated in this study. nPMMA and PMMA-nSiO₂ were synthesized via differential microemulsion polymerization. The addition of either an appropriate type or amount of nanofiller into the plasticized-PVC improved the tensile strength, Young's modulus, tear strength, and thermal stability of the obtained nanocomposites, whereas the elongation at break decreased with increasing amounts of the nanofillers. Scanning electron micrographs of all the nanocomposites showed typical dimple fracture topologies similar to the neat plasticized-PVC.

Keywords:

• Physical properties
• Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)
• Poly(methyl methacrylate)
• Poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted-nanosilica
• Silica nanoparticles

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to thank Dr. Robert Butcher for correcting, suggesting and proof reading the article.