Comprehensive Study on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Nanoclay Reinforced Polymers at Various Temperatures

摘要

In this study, the mechanical and thermal properties of nanoclay reinforced polymer resins are investigated at various temperatures. The effect of nanoclay reinforcement was elicited by varying its weight percentage from 0% to 10% in the polymer. Three different polypropylene (PP) resins were studied. The temperature was varied from -65 F (-54 C) to 160 F (71 C). To predict the experimental results a micromechanical model based on the Mori-Tanaka formulation was developed. The results indicate that the addition of nanoclay to PP leads to a stronger and stiffer nanocomposite. It was also found that the strength and stiffness of PP are drastically reduced at higher temperatures. However, nanoclay reinforcement somewhat mitigates this deterioration. The comparison of the theoretical and experimental results indicates that the Mori- Tanaka formulation may be a useful tool to predict these mechanical properties.