Susceptibility to scratch surface damage of wollastonite- and talc-containing polypropylene micrometric composites

The paper describes the effect of wollastonite and talc on the scratch deformation behavior of low and high crystallinity polypropylenes under identical test conditions. The vertical resolution of atomic force microscopy and lateral resolution of scanning electron microscopy is utilized to examine the characteristics of scratch damage. Contrary to the expectations that high crystallinity and stiffness of polypropylene composites should increase resistance to scratch deformation, the susceptibility to mechanical deformation depends on bonding of mineral particles to the polymer matrix. Scratch deformed regions in neat polypropylenes were free of voids and grooves, while reinforced-polypropylenes exhibited voids and debonding/detachment of filler particles. The severity of plastic deformation in reinforced polypropylenes is a function of debonding/detachment of mineral particles, which is comparatively more for talc-reinforced polypropylenes than wollastonite-reinforced polypropylenes because of the layered structure of talc that encourages delamination. Usage of coating and coupling agents improved the resistance to scratch deformation by promoting adhesion and bonding between the reinforcement and matrix. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.