Improving the mechanical and thermal properties of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) by incorporating modified CaCO3 nanoparticles as a filler

Abstract

Chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC)/calcium carbonate nanocomposites were successfully prepared bythe incorporation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles into the CPVC matrix. The compatibility between thetwo phases was obtained by surface modification of the CaCO3 nanoparticles with stearic acid, leading to improvedmaterial performance. The effects of the addition of different amounts of CaCO3 nanoparticles to the CPVC on thethermal, mechanical, and morphological characteristics of the CPVC/CaCO3 nanocomposites were investigated. Thethermal stability of the CPVC/CaCO3 nanocomposites was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis and differentialscanning calorimetry. In addition, the surface texture of the CPVC and the dispersion of the CaCO3 were evaluatedusing scanning electron microscopy. Important enhancements in the thermal and mechanical properties of the modifiedCPVC/CaCO3 nanocomposites were obtained by incorporating different amounts (2.00%, 3.75%, and 5.75%) of surfacemodifiedCaCO3 nanoparticles within the CPVC polymer matrix. The results reveal that 3.75% of CaCO3 was theoptimum amount, where the CPVC/CaCO3 nanocomposite shows the highest impact strength, the highest tensilestrength, the highest thermal stability, and the lowest elongation percentage: Replacement of the commercial impactmodifier used in industry with the prepared surface-modified CaCO3 nanoparticles for the development of CPVC wassuccessfully achieved.