Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Characterization of High-Density Polyethylene and Vermiculate Composites

High-density polyethylene composites containing 7, 10, 15 and 20% w/w vermiculite (VMT) were prepared by extrusion in a twin-screw extruder at various shear rates. The thermal and mechanical properties and morphological characteristics of the composites were evaluated and compared with pure high-density polyethylene. The blend morphologies were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties of the composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA results reveal that the use of VMT particles to fill polyethylene increased the thermal stability of the composite. The results obtained indicate that a shear speed of 400 rpm and vermiculite content of 7% showed the best properties of impact resistance. These observations were confirmed by morphology analysis.