SYNOPSIS Field/Area of Research: Polymer Nanocomposites Proposed Research Topic: Effect of Compatibilizers and particulate loading and particle

size on morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of particulate reinforced PC/PBT composites. Binary blends based on polycarbonate PC! and poly butylenes terephthalate! PBT! containing talc ha"e been recei"ing much commercial attention in recent years, especially in the automoti"e industry. PC has a good balance of properties, #hich include high modulus and strength, heat deflection temperature, and tensile toughness. $o#e"er, it has poor sol"ent and hydrolysis resistance %&'. Therefore, PBT is blended #ith PC to impro"e the chemical resistance of moulded parts. PC/PBT blends by themsel"es do not ha"e high enough stiffness for use in the manufacture of car door panels and, hence, some type of reinforcement is re(uired to increase the modulus. Typically, fibre reinforcements, such as short)glass fibre, can be used to increase the modulus of the PC/PBT blends, reduce the thermal e*pansion, and reduce the shrin+age of in,ection)moulded parts, but this may lead to a significant degree of #arpage and surface roughness. -arpage is attributed to thermally induced stresses %shrin+age and coefficient of linear thermal e*pansion C.TE!' and //frozen)in00 orientation, associated #ith large increases in the normal stresses during melt flo# of the reinforced composites relati"e to its matri* %123'. 4n the other hand, particulate reinforcement does not generate large normal stresses and, in some instances, has lo#er normal stresses than those of the matri* %5'. Therefore, particulate fillers are more suited for the purpose of increasing the modulus, reducing thermal e*pansion, and reducing the shrin+age of moulded parts for the use of e*terior car door panels %6, &7'. They pro"ide ade(uate stiffness for "ertical panels 81.39 :Pa! but not for horizontal panels ;3.7 :Pa!. Typically, #ith an increase in the "olume fraction of particles, there is an increase in modulus, but the le"el of reinforcement concentration! that is re(uired to achie"e a specified stiffness by use of particulate fillers is highly dependent on the particle size %&&2&9'. <or e*ample, :ahleitner et al. %&1' in"estigated the effect of particle size on the fle*ural modulus of talc)filled polypropylene PP! composites. <ine talc particles in the size range from 1.1 to &= >m in diameter #ere used, #hile the talc loading #as maintained at ?7@ by #eight. The fle*ural modulus of the composites #as obser"ed to increase #ith decreasing particle size. They attributed this to an increase in rela*ation time #ith a decrease in particle size. This allo#s for a higher degree of orientation to be loc+ed into an in,ection)moulded part, and hence, higher modulus. An a separate paper by :onzalez)Nunez et al. %&?', the effect of particle size and the degree of dispersion on the tensile modulus of PP and high)density polyethylene blends filled #ith calcium carbonate CaC4?! #as in"estigated. An this case, the modulus also increased #ith a decrease in particle size. They attributed this to better dispersion of the composites at the lo#er particle size. Particle agglomeration leads to coarser structures and a reduction in effecti"e aspect ratio, thus, a reduction in modulus. Blong #ith particle size, the aspect ratio or filler shape can also significantly affect the le"el of reinforcement that is re(uired to achie"e a specific stiffness. C"ehlo"a and Polouce+ %&=' ha"e sho#n that the tensile modulus of a PP/talc composite is roughly t#o times greater at a talc loading of ?7@ by #eight relati"e to that of the unfilled PP matri*. $o#e"er, at lo# particle loadings ?29@ by #eight of talc!, only a &72 17@ increase in modulus #as obser"ed. Cimilar results #ere obser"ed in mica)filled PP composites %&1' and calcium carbonate)filled PP composites %&9'. An the case of the PP/CaC4? composites, the modulus only increased by a factor of &.9 97@! relati"e to that of the matri* at ?7@ by #eight of calcium carbonate, #hereas the modulus increased by a factor of ? #ith the addition of ?7@ by #eight of mica for the PP/mica composite. 4n the basis of the results mentioned earlier, one can see that the aspect ratio or filler shape has a significant influence on the modulus of particulate)filled systems. Bt ?7@ by #eight of filler, the modulus decreased in the order mica talc calcium carbonate, #hich is in order of highest to lo#est aspect ratio =72=9, 92&7, &, respecti"ely!. An a study by Ditsuishi %&9', PP/CaC4? composites #ere generated #ith particles that #ere in the shape of spheres, cubes, or needles. The aspect ratio of the spheres and cubes #as E & #hile the aspect ratio of the needles #as on the order of 92&7. Ditsuishi found that the modulus of the composites generated #ith the cubes or spheres #as the same #ithin e*perimental error. The modulus of the composites generated #ith the higher aspect ratio needles #as F7@ greater than that of the composites generated by the spheres or cubes at a particle loading of 17@ by #eight. Dany researchers ha"e in"estigated the effect of filler loading on the

mechanical properties of nanocomposites %&F2&6'. Dost of these studies ha"e dealt #ith clay)based nano) composites. An many cases, it has been sho#n that a mar+ed increase in modulus ?7237@! at lo# filler loadings 9@ by #eight! is obser"ed relati"e to that of filled composites using fine particles because of their much larger aspect ratios F72&77 "ersus 92=7!. $o#e"er, large impro"ements in the mechanical properties are only obser"ed if the clay platelets are #ell dispersed and e*hibit an e*foliated morphology #ithin the polymer matri*. An #or+ done by .ee and $an %&6', the effect of surface treatment on the mechanical properties of PC/clay nano)composites #as in"estigated. The tensile modulus of the composites generated #ith the untreated clay platelets increased by E&F@ relati"e to that of the unfilled PC matri*, #hile the tensile strength remained the same at a clay loading of =@ by #eight. $o#e"er, the tensile modulus and tensile strength both increased considerably 39@ and =7@, respecti"ely! #hen the clay platelets #ere surface)treated #ith a polar (uaternary ammonium salt at the same le"el of reinforcement, i.e., =@ by #eight. The large increase in modulus and strength #ith the surface)treated platelets #as attributed to fully e*foliated platelets. $ydrogen bonding bet#een the carbonyl groups of the PC and the hydro*yl groups of the coupling agent resulted in the increase of the tensile properties. Typically, at lo# reinforcement E9@ by #eight! of con"entional thermoplastic composites, the increase in modulus is relati"ely small &72?7@! #hile the tensile strength tends to decrease. This sho#s that large impro"ements in the tensile modulus and strength can be obtained at much lo#er reinforcement le"els relati"e to composites generated #ith fine particles, as long as the nanoparticles are fully e*foliated. Blthough the addition of particulates gi"es rise to an increase in the modulus, there is also a subse(uent decrease in the impact strength and/or tensile toughness as #ell as an increase in the #eight of the moulded parts relati"e to that of the unfilled blend %&&2&=, 17'. The increase in #eight is due to the higher density of the fillers relati"e to those of the thermoplastics. Gensities for fillers range from 1.7 to 1.5 g/cm ?, #hereas the density of polymers, typically range from 7.5 to &.= g/cm ?. Bdded #eight and a reduction in impact resistance are not desirable for automoti"e purposes. -.C. Gepolo and G.:. Braid %1&,11' ha"e in"estigated The effect of particle size nanotalc "ersus fine talc! on the dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and morphology of composites consisting of polycarbonate PC!, poly butylene terephthalate! PBT!, and talc #as in"estigated at "arious talc loadings. At #as found that, by using nanotalc as opposed to fine talc particles, the le"el of talc reinforcement could be reduced from F to& #t@ #ithout sacrificing the dimensional stability, i.e. coefficient of linear thermal e*pansion and shrin+ageof in,ection)molded pla(ues, or fle*ural modulus of the PC/PBT/talc composites at a PC)to)PBT blend ratio of F7/=7 by #eight or greater. <urther benefits included a &=@ increase in fle*ural strength, &17@ increase in the tensile toughness and ?@ reduction in the density of the PC/PBT/talc composites. The impro"ed stiffness is attributed to the higher aspect ratio diameter/thic+ness of the platelets! of nanotalc 17211! relati"e to that of the fine talc 92&7!. Bn increase in the fle*ural modulus of the PC/PBT/talc composites #ith an increase in nanotalc loading #as obser"ed e"en though there #as e"idence of significant degradation in the molecular #eight of the PC/PBT matri*. Possible degradation in the molecular #eight of the PC/PBT matri* #as supported by a significant reduction in the storage modulus and comple* "iscosity, at high fre(uencies of the composites generated #ith the nanotalc relati"e to that of the unfilled matri*. The effect of organoclay loading and surface treatment on the dimensional stability, structure2property relationships, and rheological beha"ior of Nanocomposites consisting of polycarbonate PC!, poly%butylene terephyhalate' PBT!, and nano)clay #as in"estigated at "arious clay loadings and #ith "arious surface modifiers for the nano)clay particles. At #as found that by using an organoclay formed #ith a polar amine compound that contained t#o hydro*yl end groups as opposed to nano)talc, the fle*ural strength and tensile toughness of the nanocomposites increased by &1 and 13@, respecti"ely, at a particle loading of & #t@, #hile maintaining the fle*ural modulus of the nanofilled PC/PBT blends. The fle*ural and tensile modulus of the nanocomposites increased #ith an increase in particle loading e"en though the "iscosity #as reduced due to a loss of molecular #eight of the PC/PBT and/or an increase in the compatibility of the interface bet#een the PC and PBT phase, #hich "aried #ith organoclay structure. Possible loss of the molecular #eight of the PC/PBT matri* #as supported by a significant reduction in the storage modulus and comple* "iscosity at high fre(uencies of the composites generated #ith nano)clay relati"e to that of the unfilled matri*.

The ob,ecti"es of the proposed research #or+ is to find out the effect of compatibilizers, talc loading and particle size/aspect ratio on the morphology, thermal and the mechanical properties of composites based on PC, PBT, and talc micron as #ell as nano)size!. An particular, our goal is to determine #hether the use of nanoparticles opposed to fine particles can allo# lo#er loadings of reinforcement for filled PC/PBT compatibilized and uncompatibilized blends #hile maintaining the desired mechanical properties of samples prepared by means of in,ection moulding.
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