Effect of Filler Dimensionality on Mechanical Properties of Nanofiller Reinforced Polyolefin Elastomers
The object of this study has been to investigate the effect of filler dimensionality on morphology and mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites using various kinds of nanofillers (such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (1D filler), layered silicate (2D filler), and boehmite (3D filler)) dispersed in the matrix of ethylene-1-octene copolymer (EOC), a polyolefin-based elastomer. The morphological features were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) while mechanical properties were characterized by tensile testing and depth sensitive recording microindentation hardness measurements. It has been demonstrated that the filler dimensionality may have dramatic influence on the mechanical properties of the samples. Based on the results obtained by tensile testing and microhardness measurements, the reinforcing effect of the nanofiller was found to follow the order: 1D filler > 2D filler > 3D filler.