Modification of mechanical and color properties of polypropylene with colored nano-SiO2 prepared from diatomite

Diatomite powder was dissolved in alkali to form sodium silicate, which was then used to prepare colored nano-SiO2 (CNS) by the process of chemical precipitation. The CNS was analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. To explore the application of colored nano-SiO2 in polypropylene (PP), CNS was incorporated into PP T30s. The mechanical and colorimetric properties of prepared CNS/PP composites were also investigated. The results of tensile tests indicated that the nanoparticles could simultaneously provide PP with stiffening, strengthening, and toughening effects at a low filler content (typically 2% by volume). At the same time, with CNS filler, the PP composites acquired a bright red color. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48328.