Preparation and Properties of Polypropylene/Expended Vermiculite Micro-nano Composite

Thermoplastics were prepared by melt blending using polypropylene [PP] and expended vermiculite ball-milled with VAE emulsion. The effect of vermiculite content and vermiculite particle diameter on the crystallization and mechanical property of PP were studied. The mechanical property of PP and the composites studied by using universal testing machine show that both mass fraction of vermiculite and particle size have consequences for mechanical property of PP, and when mass fraction of vermiculite and ball-mill 5 hours can acquire good mechanical properties. The two parameters are in agreement with morphology of the composites observing from the Scanning Electron Microscopy and polarized-light microscope. The results obtained from nonisothermal crystallization of PP and the composites, which were carried out using the differential scanning calorimetry technique, show that vermiculite with micro diameter block crystallization, while vermiculite with micro-nano diameter can induce crystallization and increase crystallization.