Particulate toughening of polymers is a method of toughening polymers materials by means of introducing and dispersing fine particles in the matrix. This method of particle reinforced toughening is to disperse small particles in the matrix of thermoplastics and thermoset resins to achieve the purpose of toughening the material. The particles can be glass fibers, whiskers, talc, mica, carbon fibers, Kevlar fiber, etc.
When a particle reinforced toughened material is subjected to an external stress, it is beneficial to have an energy dissipation mechanism. That is, when the matrix material is strained, the particles will crack and slide, and gradually deformation, the energy stored in the crack and sliding can be consumed, so that the energy transfer from the surface to inside, then to be scattered out, thus helping to reduce the damage of the material itself.
Therefore, particulate toughening is an effective way to increase the toughness of polymers by dispersing and dispersing them in thermoplastics and thermosetting resins. The particulate toughening method emphasizes particle reinforcement toughening. Using special processing methods, particles with a specific shape and size are dispersed into certain polymers, and these particles become an important part of polymers.
The particle reinforced toughening mainly relies on three aspects of the toughening mechanism:
First, when a particle is dispersed in a polymeric matrix, the toughness of the material improves and the yield strength increases. On the one hand, the particle surface effect increases the tearing resistance of the matrix. On the other hand, when a particle is dispersed in a polymeric matrix and subjected to external forces, the surface between the matrix and the particle becomes a micro-transition interface that can store energy and dissipate energy. In this way, the overall energy level of the matrix is increased, and the toughness of the material is improved.
The second is the micro-crack mechanism of the particles. The forced energy pushed to the particles in the matrix can cause the particles to crack and slide, which can dissipate part of the energy, so that the macro-stress is reduced and the stress of the matrix is reduced.
Finally, the physical cross-linking mechanism helps to form additional physical cross-linking between the particle surface and the surrounding polymeric matrix. This physical link can help to form a continuous reinforcing net in the polymeric matrix and improve the toughness of the material.
Particulate toughening can significantly improve the strength, toughness and other indicators of polymeric materials, extend their life and improve their reliability and performance. In addition, it can reduce the cost, improve processing performance and density, and meet environmental requirements. It is one of the most promising ways to improve polymeric materials.
