Thermal expansion of a polymer composite with an aggregating disperse filler

Conclusion The thermal deformation of HDPE with an aggregating disperse filler was experimentally studied in a wide range of temperatures. The effect of the filler on the characteristics of relaxation transitions in HDPE, determined from dilatometric tests, was analyzed. A method of calculating the effective thermal expansion coefficient of a composite with an aggregating filler was proposed. Satisfactory agreement between the calculated and experimental data was obtained. It was shown that the effect of aggregation results in a significant decrease in the thermal expansion coefficient of the composite.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 70–77, January–February, 1989.