Rheological and mechanical characterization of poly (methyl methacrylate)/silica (PMMA/SiO2) composites

The search for new materials with properties suitable for specific applications has increased the number of research studies to fill the market demands. The development of polymer composites by the addition of inorganic fillers to the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) increases the potential use of this polymer in various application fields. The main objective of this work was to study the rheological and mechanical behavior of composites obtained from the addition of silica in two different types of PMMA matrix: a common (PMMAc) and an elastomeric copolymer (PMMAel). The results showed that the addition of silica particles to the PMMA matrix promoted an increase in torque, a decrease in the melt flow index of composites and an increase in hardness compared to pure polymers. The composites also showed a reduction of the maximum tensile strength for composites with PMMAc matrix and maintenance of tensile strength for composites with PMMAel matrix. The average width of scratch decreased due to a change in wear mechanism, attributed to the increase of hardness in the composites obtained.