Effect of wollastonite and talc on the micromechanisms of tensile deformation in polypropylene composites

The work presented here describes the effect of wollastonite and talc on the micromechanisms of surface deformation and subsequent propagation into the bulk of low and high crystallinity polypropylenes during tensile straining. The potential of high resolution electron microscopy is utilized to examine deformation processes, and develop deformation mechanism maps. While mineral-reinforced polypropylenes exhibited an increase in tensile modulus, yield strength remained unaffected. Crystallization behavior indicated that the reinforcement minerals increase the rate of nucleation with consequent increase in percentage of bulk crystallinity. The reinforcement of polypropylene with wollastonite or talc alters the primary micromechanism of deformation from deformation bands/crazing in neat polypropylenes to wedge/ridge tearing in mineral-reinforced low crystallinity polypropylene composites. However, wedges were absent in high crystallinity polypropylene composites. The final fracture in reinforced polypropylene occurs by a mixed mode consisting of fibrillation and brittle mode, while crazing-tearing and brittle deformation are fracture modes for neat polypropylenes. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.