Polypropylene/CaCO₃ Nanocomposites Fabricated Using Masterbatch: Effect of Nano-CaCO₃ Loadings and Re-Processing on the Melting Properties

Abstract:

Polypropylene filled calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) nanocomposites were fabricated by employing melt blending/compounding method using masterbatch. To investigate the efffect of reprocessing on the melting properties of PP/CaCO₃ nanocomposites, the melt compounding process was conducted twice (two cycles). The effect of nano-CaCO₃ loadings (i.e. 5, 10 and 15 wt%) on the melting properties of PP/CaCO₃ nanocomposites were also studied. The meling properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed by using a DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry). Additionally, the nanocomposites samples were also analyzed by an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The SEM analysis results revealed that at higher nano-CaCO₃ loading (i.e. 15 wt%), the nano-CaCO₃ particles in the 2^nd cycle were more well distributed/dispersed in the polypropylene matrix as compared to the 1^st cycle. Whereas, the DSC test results showed that the crystallinity of the nanocomposites samples were similar to that of neat PP for the 1st cycle of melt blending process, which was about 41%. In the other hand, for the 2^nd cycle, the crystallinity of the samples slightly increased wtih increasing nano-CaCO₃ loadings, which were about 39.6; 43; 44% for nano-CaCO₃ loadings of 0, 5, 10 wt%, respectively. Nevertheless, at the highest nano-CaCO₃ loadings (i.e. 15 wt%), the crystallinity of the nanocomposites (i.e. NCC-15-II) decreased again and lower than that of neat PP, which was about 37.7%.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1067)
• Pages: 73-78
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-2u9f04
• Online since: August 2022
• Authors: Achmad Chafidz*
• Keywords: CaCO₃, Materbatch, Melting Properties, Nanocomposites, Polypropylene, Reprocessing

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