Application of one-pot sol-gel method to prepare polyolefin fillers
Paulina Jakubowska, Agnieszka Martyła, Bogna Sztorch, Dariusz Brząkalski, Monika Osińska-Broniarz, Robert Przekop
Quarterly No. 3, 2018 pages 167-173
DOI:
keywords: one-pot, sol-gel, polyolefins, Stöber silica, composite
abstract The application of silica-based fillers for polymers and nanocomposites is a subject of extensive research, mostly due to the demand for new materials of improved physicochemical, mechanical or thermal properties. In this paper we present a new, one-pot sol-gel (OPSG) method to synthesize fillers for polyolefins. The developed method assumes direct synthesis of the filler together with its modification upon the addition of organofunctional silane. It allows fillers with controlled porosity and hydrophobic properties to be obtained, which undergo better dispersion in a polymer matrix. The characteristics of the obtained composites were defined by thermal analysis, as well as tensile and impact tests. The contact angle was measured by the sessile drop technique to determine the hydrophobic-hydrophilic properties of the fillers. Morphological analyses were performed using SEM, surface area and pore volume measurements. The one-pot method is a preferred alternative to the multi-step synthesis methods for synthetic fillers.