High aspect ratio Phlogopite mica was used to enhance the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of extruded rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam. Mica was added to rigid PVC compound at different concentratio...High aspect ratio Phlogopite mica was used to enhance the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of extruded rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam. Mica was added to rigid PVC compound at different concentrations (0 - 20 wt%) and processed using a single screw profile extruder. PVC foam-Mica composites were characterized for their dimensional stability, and structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Experimental results showed that the dimensional stability increased by 44% and heat resistance of the samples improved as the amount of mica increased in the composites. The storage modulus and tensile strength of the composites were also enhanced with the addition of mica. However, increasing the concentration of mica had no significant effect on the impact and flexural properties of the composites. SEM micrographs show good dispersion and orientation of the mica flakes along the cell walls of the PVC foam. Overall, the platy structure and physical properties of mica seemed to have played an important role in providing good interfacial bonding with the cell membranes of the foam, thus enhancing the dimensional stability of the PVC- Mica foam composites.展开更多
Short cut E-glass fibers of two different lengths were used to determine the effect of glass fiber length on the dimensional stability of rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam in this study. Glass fibers measuring, 1/16...Short cut E-glass fibers of two different lengths were used to determine the effect of glass fiber length on the dimensional stability of rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam in this study. Glass fibers measuring, 1/16" and 1/32" at different concentrations (0 wt% - 20 wt%) were used to reinforce rigid PVC foams;the PVC foam-glass fiber (PVC-GF) composites were extruded using a single screw profile extruder. The extruded PVC-GF composites were characterized for their dimensional stability, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Experimental results show that the dimensional stability, heat resistance, and storage modulus were enhanced without compromising the tensile and flexural strengths of the composites. Thermal shrinkage decreased by almost 55% in composites reinforced with 1/32" GF and by 60% in composites reinforced with 1/16" GFs, with visible improvements to the shape distortion. Overall, foam composites which were prepared with longer (1/16") glass fibers exhibited better mechanical and thermal properties than those prepared with shorter (1/32") glass fibers. Microstructural observations suggest that this is due to better interlocking between the long fibers and the foam cells, which result in better load distribution in the matrix.展开更多
Fly ash particles are usually spherical and based on their chemical composition;they are categorized into two classes: C and F. This study compares the microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties of extruded ri...Fly ash particles are usually spherical and based on their chemical composition;they are categorized into two classes: C and F. This study compares the microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties of extruded rigid PVC foam composites reinforced with class C and class F fly ash. The mechanical properties: such as tensile and flexural strength of composites containing class C fly ash were superior to the composites containing class F fly ash particles. Composites containing 6 phr class C fly ash showed a 24% improvement in the tensile strength in comparison to a mere 0.5% increase in composites reinforced with class F fly ash. Similarly, the addition of 6 phr of class F fly ash to the PVC foam matrix resulted in a 5.74% decrease in the flexural strength, while incorporating the same amount of class C fly ash led to a 95% increase in flexural strength. The impact strength of the composites decreased as the amount of either type of fly ash increased in the composites indicating that fly ash particles improve the rigidity of the PVC foam composites. No significant changes were observed in the thermal properties of the composites containing either type of fly ash particles. However, the thermo-mechanical properties measured by DMA indicated a steep increase in the viscoelastic properties of composites reinforced with class C flyash. The microstructural properties studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that fly ash particles were mechanically interlocked in the PVC matrix with good interfacial interaction with the matrix. However, particle agglomeration and debonding was observed in composites reinforced with higher amounts of fly ash.展开更多
文摘High aspect ratio Phlogopite mica was used to enhance the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of extruded rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam. Mica was added to rigid PVC compound at different concentrations (0 - 20 wt%) and processed using a single screw profile extruder. PVC foam-Mica composites were characterized for their dimensional stability, and structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Experimental results showed that the dimensional stability increased by 44% and heat resistance of the samples improved as the amount of mica increased in the composites. The storage modulus and tensile strength of the composites were also enhanced with the addition of mica. However, increasing the concentration of mica had no significant effect on the impact and flexural properties of the composites. SEM micrographs show good dispersion and orientation of the mica flakes along the cell walls of the PVC foam. Overall, the platy structure and physical properties of mica seemed to have played an important role in providing good interfacial bonding with the cell membranes of the foam, thus enhancing the dimensional stability of the PVC- Mica foam composites.
文摘Short cut E-glass fibers of two different lengths were used to determine the effect of glass fiber length on the dimensional stability of rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam in this study. Glass fibers measuring, 1/16" and 1/32" at different concentrations (0 wt% - 20 wt%) were used to reinforce rigid PVC foams;the PVC foam-glass fiber (PVC-GF) composites were extruded using a single screw profile extruder. The extruded PVC-GF composites were characterized for their dimensional stability, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Experimental results show that the dimensional stability, heat resistance, and storage modulus were enhanced without compromising the tensile and flexural strengths of the composites. Thermal shrinkage decreased by almost 55% in composites reinforced with 1/32" GF and by 60% in composites reinforced with 1/16" GFs, with visible improvements to the shape distortion. Overall, foam composites which were prepared with longer (1/16") glass fibers exhibited better mechanical and thermal properties than those prepared with shorter (1/32") glass fibers. Microstructural observations suggest that this is due to better interlocking between the long fibers and the foam cells, which result in better load distribution in the matrix.
文摘Fly ash particles are usually spherical and based on their chemical composition;they are categorized into two classes: C and F. This study compares the microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties of extruded rigid PVC foam composites reinforced with class C and class F fly ash. The mechanical properties: such as tensile and flexural strength of composites containing class C fly ash were superior to the composites containing class F fly ash particles. Composites containing 6 phr class C fly ash showed a 24% improvement in the tensile strength in comparison to a mere 0.5% increase in composites reinforced with class F fly ash. Similarly, the addition of 6 phr of class F fly ash to the PVC foam matrix resulted in a 5.74% decrease in the flexural strength, while incorporating the same amount of class C fly ash led to a 95% increase in flexural strength. The impact strength of the composites decreased as the amount of either type of fly ash increased in the composites indicating that fly ash particles improve the rigidity of the PVC foam composites. No significant changes were observed in the thermal properties of the composites containing either type of fly ash particles. However, the thermo-mechanical properties measured by DMA indicated a steep increase in the viscoelastic properties of composites reinforced with class C flyash. The microstructural properties studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that fly ash particles were mechanically interlocked in the PVC matrix with good interfacial interaction with the matrix. However, particle agglomeration and debonding was observed in composites reinforced with higher amounts of fly ash.