Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene/Silica Aerogel Composites

Polypropylene (PP) composites including various amounts of silica aerogel (SA) microparticles were prepared by melt mixing in an internal mixer. The morphology and microstructure of the prepared composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties of the samples, including elastic modulus, tensile stress, elongation and stress at break, were measured by tensile tests. In addition, the other mechanical features, including Izod impact strength, hardness and wear resistance, were evaluated and then related to the structure of the PP/SA composites. Furthermore, the thermal characteristics of the composites, such as heat deflection temperature and thermal stability, were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM photographs indicated the satisfactory SA particles dispersion for the compositions of 1% and 3% but agglomeration of the aerogels at higher SA contents. Since the composites became stiffer, the impact and tensile strength decreased. The addition of the SA to the PP matrix yielded harder samples with lower weight loss and coefficients of friction in wear tests. The TGA evaluations confirmed that the presence of SA promoted and upgraded the thermal stability and heat deflection temperature of PP. The thermal results proved the superior potential of PP as an insulator when the SA particles were added.