Open Access

ARTICLE

Nanotitanium Dioxide Reinforced High Performance PEI/Silicone Rubber Composites: Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Characteristics

by

a Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, Bhopal (M.P.)-462023, India
b Jaypee University of Engineering and Technology, Guna (M.P.)-473226, India

* Corresponding Author: e-mail:

Journal of Polymer Materials 2020, 37(3-4), 179-188. https://doi.org/10.32381/JPM.2020.37.3-4.5

Abstract

The present investigation is targeted to prepare nanocomposites based on binary blends of polyetherimide (PEI)-silicone rubber incorporated with varied loadings of nanotitanium dioxide particles. Nanocomposites have been prepared by melt blending process using twin screw extruder. Thermal properties of the developed nanocomposites have been investigated with the help of thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to analyze the morphological properties of the nanocomposites. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, impact strength) of the nanocomposites have been evaluated by universal testing machine (UTM). Mechanical testing results reveal that there is 35% increase in tensile strength, 3% increase in tensile modulus and 41% increase in impact strength at 1 phr loading of nanotitanium into blend polymer matrix. The nanocomposite having 1 phr nano-titanium has got the highest thermal stability than the others. DMA results indicate that at 50°C nanocomposites having 1 phr nano-titanium reveals 69% increase in storage modulus as compared to pure blend system. SEM micrographs clearly indicate that the nanocomposite with 1 phr loading of nano titanium has the smallest domain size as compared to other nanocomposites .This may be due to uniform and homogeneous dispersion of 1 phr nanotitanium in polymer matrix followed by fairly good polymer filler interaction.

---

Keywords

---