Improving the Flexural Properties of Abs/Muscovite Composites by Introducing Modified Muscovite

Abstract

This paper reports the effect of unmodified and modified muscovite on the flexural properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composites. The composites were prepared by using melt compounding in an internal mixer. The morphologies of the composites were examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) whereas the structural characteristics of unmodified and modified muscovite were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results indicated that by modifying muscovite via two-stage ion exchange treatment, the basal spacing of muscovite was enlarged. The incorporation of treated muscovite (TM) in ABS matrix improved the flexural strength and modulus by 9% and 28%, respectively, compared to neat ABS strength of composites. The FESEM results showed that the fracture surface of ABS/TM composite indicated better interfacial adhesion between the filler and the matrix.