MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF TALC-FILLED POLYPROPYLENE - INFLUENCE OF FILLER CONTENT, FILLER PARTICLE-SIZE AND QUALITY OF DISPERSION

Mechanical properties of polypropylene-talc composites are measured as a function of talc concentration up to 40 wt.-%, Young's modulus of filled polypropylene shows linear increase with talc concentration up to double the value of unfilled polymer. Yield stress and Charpy notch toughness decrease with increasing talc content below matrix level at the highest filler content. Composite ultimate tensile elongation and tensile impact strength decrease sharply beginning at the lowest filler concentration. The influence of the talc particle size on the mechanical properties, especially composite toughness, mentioned above, is investigated. Four types of talc were used. Notch toughness decreases according to a linear dependence with mean size of talc particles. Evaluating impact strength possible content of agglomerates of filler and other additions is necessary to be included: tensile impact strength gives slow linear dependence with increasing content of filler particles and/or agglomerates above about 10 mum. The influence of talc particle size on the toughness of filled polypropylene becomes strong if the rubber particles are present.