Morphology and Properties of Particulate Filled Polymers

Although the structure of particulate filled polymers is usually thought to be very simple, often structure related phenomena determine their properties. Segregation occurs only when long flow paths and large particles are used in production. The occurrence and extent of aggregation depend on the relative magnitude of attractive and separating forces, which prevail during the homogenization of the composite; the balance of adhesive and shear forces determines structure. Fillers of small particle size always aggregate, usually leading to decreased strength and especially low impact resistance. Anisotropic particles (talc, mica, short fibers) are orientated during processing. ESR is a relatively simple technique for the estimation of orientation and orientation distribution, which are determined by processing conditions, i.e. flow pattern, shear conditions, mold filling rates, cooling conditions, etc. The orientation of the particles strongly affects composite stiffness and strength. In practice, often several factors simultaneously influence the properties of products prepared from particulate filled polymers. Separation of the effects of the influencing factors is difficult, although such knowledge would help to control composite properties. The structure and properties of injection and compression moulded PP composites containing CaCO₃ or talc differs considerably from each other. The aggregation of CaCO₃, the nucleating effect and the orientation of talc affect product properties. The latter are also influenced by the skin-core structure developing during injection molding as well as by the orientation of the polymer. An example is discussed in this paper, which facilitates the identification of the effect of these factors with the help of a simple model and indicates a way in which product properties can be controlled.