A Study on Fusion and Rheological Behaviors of PVC/SiO(2) Microcomposites and Nanocomposites: The Effects of SiO(2) Particle Size

Abstract

In this study, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and silica (SiO(2)) microcomposites and nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing in a Haake torque rheometer. The fusion and rheological behaviors of PVC/SiO(2) composites were evaluated by means of torque data recorded during processing to investigate the influence of the SiO(2) particle size on these behaviors. It was found that the fusion time and the fusion temperature decreased with the decreasing of SiO(2) particle size, whereas the fusion torque increased with the decreasing of particle size. The PVC/Si-25-nm nanocomposite (PVC including the 25 nm of SiO2) showed the highest apparent viscosity among the PVC/SiO(2) microcomposites and nanocomposites prepared in this study. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that some aggregates, whose sizes about 60-90 nm, were formed when the 25 nm of SiO2 was used as filler. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51: 1574-1579, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers