Research Article
Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Polyamide Hexaglycol by Dispersion of TiO2 Nanofiller
Sabah Mohammed Mlkat Al-Mutoki 1*, Baydaa Abdul-Hassan Khalaf Al-Ghzawi 2, Emad Abbas Jaffar Al-Mulla 3*, Samer AbdulAmohsin 4
1Electrical Department, Al Furat Al Awsat University, Technical Institute of Samawa, Samawa, Iraq.
2Mechanical Department, Al Furat Al Awsat University, Technical Institute of Samawa, Samawa, Iraq.
3Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, P.O. Box 21, An-Najaf 54001, Iraq.
4Physical Department, Faculty of Science, Thi Qar University , Thi Qar, Iraq.
*Corresponding authors. E-mail: asabah_sh2003@yahoo.com; imad.almulla@uokufa.edu.iq
Received: Feb. 3, 2016; Accepted: Feb. 18, 2016; Published: Apr. 28, 2016.
Citation: Sabah Mohammed Mlkat Al-Mutoki, Baydaa Abdul-Hassan Khalaf Al-Ghzawi, Emad Abbas Jaffar Al-Mulla, and Samer AbdulAmohsin, Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Polyamide Hexaglycol by Dispersion of TiO2 Nanofiller. Nano Biomed. Eng., 2016, 8(2): 55-59.
DOI: 10.5101/nbe.v8i2.p55-59.
Abstract
The effects of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5wt% of TiO2 disperse nanofiller on mechanical properties of polyamide hexaglycol (PAHG) were investigated. Specimen was prepared by the hot vibration dispersion technique to make a PMNC. Hardness, tensile strength, ultimate tensile strength, young modulus, and impact at room temperature were tested. It has been found that enhancement in these properties starts at extra low weight percent (1wt%) nTiO2. The maximum effect of nano TiO2 addition was on tensile strength, and the lowest was on young modulus.
Keywords: Nanofiller, PMNCs, Hot vibration dispersion
Introduction
The reinforcement of polymers using fillers, whether inorganic or organic, is common in the production of modern plastics. Polymeric nanocomposites (PNCs) represent a radical alternative to the conventional filled polymers or polymer blends. In contrast to conventional systems, where the reinforcement is of the order of microns, PNCs are exemplified by discrete constituents of the order of a few nanometers (<100 nm) in at least one dimension[1-4]. The small size of the fillers leads to an exceptionally large interfacial area in the composites. The interface controls the degree of interaction between the filler and the polymer and thus controls the properties. As in conventional composites, the interfacial region is the region beginning at the point in the fibre at which the properties differ from those of the bulk filler and ending at the point in the matrix at which the properties become equal to those of the bulk matrix [5-8]. Nanometer-sized fillers have been made from different organic and inorganic particles, and they impart improved properties to composite materials [9]. Different fillers have been used to prepare polymer/inorganic particle nanocomposites, including metals (Al, Fe, etc.), metal oxides (ZnO, Al2O3, TiO2, etc.), nonmetal oxide (SiO2), and others (SiC) [9-14]. The selection of nanoparticle filler depends on the desired thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the nanocomposites [15-29]. The aim of this research was to study the effect of the weight percent of TiO2 anatase nanofiller particles on the hardness, tensile strength, and creep at room termperature of nano TiO2/PAHG polymer matrix composite.
Experimental Work
Materials
Polyamide hexaglycol (PAHG) containing resin and hardener was supplied from SICOMIN, USA, and 99.9% TiO2 purchased from HORIBA, Germany with 10-30 nm particle size range were used as a matrix and a nanofiller. Mechanical properties of both polymer matrix and ceramic nanofiller are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 Mechanical Properties of PAHG, and nTiO2
Property |
PAHG |
nTiO2 |
|
|
|
BHN (MPa) |
26 |
130 |
|
|
|
T.S. (MPa) |
15 |
344 |
|
|
|
U.T.S (MPa) |
107 |
800 |
|
|
|
E (GPa) |
42 |
122 |
|
|
|
Impact |
50 |
415 |
|
|
|
Specimen preparation
Weighing: Table 2 illustrates the weights of nTiO2, PAHG resin, and PAHG hardener; weight percent of PAHG resin to hardener was 1:3.
Table 2 Weights (gm) of nTiO2, PAHG resin/hardener
Specimen |
nTiO2 |
PAHG |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
66 resin + 33 hardener |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
65.4 resin + 32.6 hardener |
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
64.7 resin + 32.3 hadener |
|
|
|
4 |
4 |
64 resin + 32 hardener |
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
63.7 resin + 31.3 hardener |
|
|
|
Mixing and solidification
After weighing powder of nTiO2 was mixed with PAHG resin using a magnetic stirrer with a very low speed (30 rpm) for 15 min at 50oC, the hardener was dropped over the mixture with continuous stirring at the same speed for 20 min at room temperature. And then the mixture was poured in a special mold according to the different standard shapes of tests, left for 24hrs at room temperature for solidification.
Testing
Brinell testing device type (Wilson instrument, Hardness tester, USA) with a tungsten carbide ball (10mm in diameter) was applied according to ASTM D730–98. The device was connected to a digital system type (Sony 210) which gave direct results. Tensile test was conducted according to ASTM E 623 – 92, using a set type (Instron 1195 Tensile Test) with the load of 5KN and the strain range of 0.5 mm/min. The device was connected to a digital reading and graphing unit type PLC 1800. Charpy impact test device type CDM, U.K results were calculated according to equation 1.
E = mg(h1-h2)………………….(1)
where m was the mass of pendulum (25 kg), g was the acceleration (9.8), and h1, h2 were the heights of the pendulum before and after striking the specimen, respectively.
Results
Figure 1 illustrates SEM of PAHG/nTiO2 (PMNC). We can see the good dispersion and high interaction between the polymer matrix and nano reinforcing particles. This may lead us to concluding that there is an enhancement in mechanical properties even at low nTiO2 filler, as we shall see. Table 3 illustrates the tensile strength, ultimate tensile strength, and young modulus of PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC.
Fig.1 SEM of PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC (A)1%,(B)2%,(C)3%,(D)4%,(E)5% TiO2
Table 3 Mechanical Properties of PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC
|
|
|
TiO2 % |
|
|
Mechanical Property |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tensile strength (MPa) |
180 |
380 |
593 |
820 |
1460 |
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) |
270 |
512 |
874 |
1050 |
2600 |
Young Modulus (GPa) |
110 |
317 |
548 |
927 |
1138 |
Brinell Hardness Number (MPa) |
83 |
171 |
326 |
781 |
1297 |
Impact (J) |
275 |
498 |
863 |
1023 |
2468 |
Discussion
The nanoscale reinforcing phase can be grouped into three categories: nano particles (0-D), nanotubes (1-D), and nanoplates (2-D). In such case of nanoparticles as in our research, the particle size and distribution are of great importance. Depending on the types of nanoparticles added, the mechanical properties of PMNC can be altered. The changes in modulus and strength depend strongly on the degree of interaction between the nano reinforcing particles and the polymer matrix. Figure 1 illustrates SEM of PAHG/nTiO2 (PMNC). We can see the good dispersion and high interaction between the polymer matrix and nano reinforcing particles; this may lead us to concluding that there is an enhancement in mechanical properties even at low nTiO2 filler, as can we see from Table 3 which shows the mechanical properties of PAHG/nTiO2 (PMNC). The tensile strength of polymer matrix nanocomposites (PMNCs) is the force required to pull the composite to the point where it breaks. Practically, the tensile strength of a PMNC is the maximum amount of tensle stress that can be subjected to before failure. That PAHG is a brittle (Table 1) material means that it does not have a yield point, and that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and breaking strength are the same. The advantages of using nanoparticles as the reinforcement is that their size is smaller than the critical crack length that typically initiates failure in the composite, and as a result, nano reinforcing particles provide improved strength. When we compare the values of mechanical properties of PAHG polymer matrix, nTiO2 particles listed in Table 1, and those of PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC produced from them, we may conclude the following points:
i. Tensile strength increased from 15 MPa for PAHG matrix up to 1460 or 1.460 Gpa, while the ultimate tensile strength increased from 22 up to 2600 or 2.6 GPa.
ii. The effect on Brinell hardness number came in the second stage, increasing from 26 to 1297 or 1.297 GPa.
iii. Impact value was only 55 J for PAHG and increased to 2468 J for PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC.
iv. The lowest effect for nTiO2 addition was on young modulus which increased from 40 MPa for PAHG up to 1138 or 1.138 GPa for PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC.
The enhancement in mechanical properties of PAHG/nTiO2 PMNC makes it useful in applications where low weight and high mechanical properties are required, such as protective body armor substrates.
Conclusions
The addition of 1-5% nTiO2 to PAHG increased the hardness, tensile strength, ultimate tensile strength, young modulus, and impact strength. A 5 % nTiO2 specimen gave the highest change, and the most effect was on tensile strength.
Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Acknowledgments
All technical staff in both Electrical Department and Mechanical Department, Al Furat Al Awsat University, Technical Institute of Samawa, Samawa, Iraq are greatly acknowledged for their assistance.
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Copyright© 2016 Sabah Mohammed Mlkat Al-Mutoki, Baydaa Abdul-Hassan Khalaf Al-Ghzawi, Emad Abbas Jaffar Al-Mulla and Samer AbdulAmohsin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.