Preparation and characterization of calcium carbonate/low-density- polyethylene nanocomposites

Abstract

Calcium carbonate/low-density-polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites have been prepared by melting blend with twin-screw extruder. The mechanical properties of composites and the dispersion of the nanoparticles were studied. The reinforcement mechanism was discussed. The results show that not only the tensile property but also the flexural modulus of the system have been evidently increased by the addition of calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate particles have been dispersed in the matrix in the nanometer scale. The reinforcement mechanism of the calcium carbonate lies on that the calcium carbonate particles, acting as hetero-nuclei, can induce higher crystallinity at the matrix-particle interface compared to regions away from the interface. Consequently, in the process of the tensile test, the nanocomposites have better tensile yield strength. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.