Influence of the alumina synthesized by combustion reaction on the properties of composites with polypropylene matrix

ABSTRACT Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most used polymers in manufactured products in plastics, therefore, studies on composites have been carried out in an attempt to modify its properties and further extend its use. The aim of this work was to use alumina synthesized by combustion reaction in the laboratory and to evaluate its influence in concentrations of 1, 3 and 5 parts per hundred of resin (phr) in the properties of composites with PP matrix. PP/alumina composites where prepared by extrusion followed by injection molding and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), mechanical properties (tensile and impact strength tests), flammability and rheological behavior underoscillatory shear flow. XRD results showed that the synthesized alumina has a crystalline structure of the corundum type and when mixed with PP was not affected crystalline structure of PP, however, the addition of alumina to PP led to a decrease in its crystallinity, a result also confirmed by DSC. The thermal transitions (Tm and Tc) of PP were practically unchanged in the composites. In the evaluation of the mechanical properties, the modulus increased and tensile strength and impact decreased, which was attributed to the formation of agglomerates observed in SEM. In the flammability test, the alumina delayed the burning process of the composites and contributed to reduce the emission of smoke and dripping when compared to neat PP. In the rheological analysis the PP and the composites presented a shear thinning behavior and, in the composites, the increase of the alumina concentration promoted reduction in the viscosity. The storage modulus of the composites increased with the alumina concentration, corroborating the results of the mechanical properties.