EFFECT OF KAOLIN ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE/ POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITE MATERIAL

Abstract

In this work, the mechanical and water absorption properties of polymer blend polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) at constant ratio (50/50) composites as a function of kaolin powder weight content in the grain size (100,120 µm) were investigated. Polymer composite was fabricated by mixing polymer blend ( PP\LDPE) with (0, 1, 3 ,5, 10, 14) wt.% of kaolin powder to obtain desirable properties. The parameters such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break , yield stress, impact strength, shore D hardness and water absorption test were carried out on the prepared samples. The results showed that the addition of kaolin powder to the polymer leads to increase the tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, shore-D hardness and impact strength and it decreases the     % elongation at break,. Water absorption of the composites behaves as function of time (days) has also been investigated, and it increases by increasing immersion time for the same filler content, while the absorbed amount of water increases, by increasing the wt% of kaolin at constant immersion time.