Experimental characterisation and object-oriented finite element modelling of polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites

Although much research work has been conducted on the production and characterisation of polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites, the effects of nanoscale fillers with respect to actual morphology through numerical modelling have been rarely addressed. This paper describes a unique development from fabrication and experimental characterisation to the numerical modelling of polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites based on the real mapping of nano/microstructures. Twin screw extrusion was utilised with a two-step masterbatch compounding method to prepare such nanocomposites with organoclays (ranging between 1 and 10 wt%) and maleated polypropylene (1:1 weight ratio). The fundamental material characterisation was conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA). Overall mechanical properties were deter-mined by tensile, flexural and impact tests. Finally, computational models were established by implementing an innovative object-oriented finite element analysis code (OOF) to predict tensile moduli of nanocomposites with good agreement with the experimental data and theoretical models. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.