Properties Optimization of Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite Drawn Fibers

In this study, the mechanical properties and thermal stability of composite polypropylene (PP) drawn fibers with two different organically modified montmorillonites were experimentally investigated and optimized using a response surface methodology. Specifically, the Box-Behnken Design of Experiments method was used in order to investigate the effect of the filler content, the compatibilizer content, and the drawing temperature on the tensile strength and the onset decomposition temperature of the PP composite drawn fibers. The materials were characterized by tensile tests, thermogravimetry, and X-ray diffraction. Two types of composites were investigated with the only difference being the type of filler, namely, Cloisite (R) 10A or Cloisite (R) 15A. In both cases, statistically significant models were obtained regarding the effect of design variables on tensile strength, while poor significance was observed for the onset decomposition temperature. Nanocomposite fibers with tensile strength up to 540 MPa were obtained. Among the design variables, the drawing temperature exhibited the most notable effect on tensile strength, while the effect of both clays was not significant.