Desenvolvimento, caracterização e avaliação das propriedades mecânicas, térmicas e morfológicas de compósitos de polietileno de alta densidade reforçados com pó de pinus taeda e/ou alumina calcinada

Abstract

This work aimed at the development, evaluation and characterization of polymer matrix composites with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and wood of Pinus taeda, calcined alumina and compatibilizers. Composites have been developed with one or two components incorporated into the polymer matrix and conducted the analysis of the mechanical, morphological, dynamicmechanical and thermal properties of these composites. Preliminarily been developed twenty-six formulations with different granulometry to their loads, varying percentages of wood flour and two types of coupling agents. After mechanical tests with these twenty-six formulations were elected those who had the highest values for bending resistance property and was continued with the rest of the tests. We used the extrusion process to obtain pellet homogenized's composites and molded into test specimens injection process. The different results for mechanical properties were obtained for compositions with higher percentage of wood and two components simultaneously, and that the composite PE24M4A2MA (70% HDPE, 24% wood, 4% alumina, 2% HDPE-g-MA) had values higher than the pure HDPE by 41% in tensile strength and 101% in flexural strength, and PE19M9A2MA composition (70% HDPE, 19% wood, 9% alumina, 2% HDPE-g-MA) was higher for the HDPE pure at 34.6% in tensile strength and 81.30% in flexural strength. All micrographs observed interaction between natural charge and the polymer matrix, and partial interaction of filler and matrix. For the storage modulus and loss of dynamic mechanical properties superior results were also obtained with the composites with higher vegetable filler content, wherein the composite PE24M4A2MA afforded the highest storage modulus and the loss in the regions and compared with HDPE and other composites. The viscosity of the material tended to increase with the incorporation of fillers, both natural and mineral during the extrusion process and the rheology test, and wood composites with higher content showed higher viscosity, probably due to more effective interaction of powder Pinus taeda with the polymeric matrix.