Study of the Properties of Nanocomposites Based on a Mixture of High- and Low-Pressure Polyethylenes with Cobalt-Containing Nanofillers
摘要
Composite materials based on a mixture of high- and low-pressure polyethylenes with additives of finely dispersed cobalt oxide are studied using X-ray phase analysis (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An improvement in the strength, deformation properties, and thermal-oxidative stability of the composite is revealed when finely dispersed cobalt oxide is introduced, which is apparently related to the formation of interphase bonds between cobalt-containing nanoparticles (NPs) and the components of the polymer composition. It is shown that nanocomposites based on a mixture of high- and low-density polyethylenes with finely dispersed cobalt oxide additives can be processed using both pressing and injection molding and extrusion, which expands their areas of application. Small amounts of nanofiller being introduced into the polymer act as the structure formers (artificial crystallization nuclei), which contribute to the appearance of a finely spherulitic structure in the polymer characterized by improved physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the resulted nanocomposite.