Multifractal analysis of tensile toughness and filler dispersion for polypropylene-CaCO3 composites

E. PÉREZ, C. BERNAL, M. PIACQUADIO

APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 258 p. 8940 - 8945

0169-4332

Multifractal analyses were performed to elucidate the effect of incorporating maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) into a Polypropylene matrix: (i) on the dispersion of CaCO3 particles and (ii) on the fracture morphology of tensile samples. The box-counting method was applied considering the number of particles and the mean gray value distribution as measured properties of composites. The dispersion analysis exhibited, for the composite with MAPP, a reduction of larger agglomerates sizes without variation of the most frequent size. Similar results were achieved by a typical particle size distribution. Moreover, the morphology of fractured surfaces showed an irregular topography for composites without MAPP suggesting a complex fracture process. Composites with MAPP, on the contrary, displayed a regular surface morphology suggesting a more regular fracture process with an important reduction of ductile mechanisms. This fracture behavior was related to the variation of the singularity width ˛. The results obtained suggest that multifractal theory can be applied to elucidate the relationship between structure and mechanical behavior of PP?CaCO3 composite materials.