Modelling of Mechanical Properties of Nanoparticle-Filled Polyethylene

A continuum-mechanics approach has been applied to model the mechanical properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) filled with differently coated SiO2 nanoparticles. The tensile yield stress has been predicted with a finite-element model (FE-model) taking into account the microstructural features, e. g. matrix, filler content and the interphase formed around the filler. A good agreement between the experimental and modelled data has been found. Additionally, the FE-model has been compared with a semi-empirical model and an analytical model with similar input parameters to predict the composite property. It was found that all models are congruent with respect to solution space.