Microspheres as potential fillers in composite polymeric materials

Microspheres used in our work were acquired from one of Kazakhstan coal-fueled power plant. The size of the microspheres varied between 45 and 400 mu m, the median particle size (D-50) was 158 mu m. Microscopic analysis revealed that the material consisted mainly of cenospheres. The results of elemental and oxide analysis showed that microspheres were composed of aluminosilicates. Identified crystalline phases were mullite (approx. 12 %) and trace amount of quartz (silica). Microscopic observations of the cross-sectional surface of both unmodified PUR foam and foams modified with microspheres showed a well formed, cellular structure of all materials. The observed cells are polyhedron in shape, most of them are closed, microspheres were uniformly distributed within polymer matrix and placed between cells. The apparent densities calculations of the samples showed that when microspheres were added to the polymer matrix, apparent density of the resulting composite materials increased. The results of elemental analysis pointed out the highest content of all three elements in unmodified PUR foam sample. The addition of the microspheres to the system resulted in decrease of the concentration of all three elements.