Tensile properties of polyformaldehyde blends and nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract The effects of the compositions and tensile rates on the tensile properties of the polyformaldehyde (POM)/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends and POM/EVA/HDPE composites filled with nanometer calcium carbonate were investigated by means of a tensile test machine at room temperature. The results showed that the Young’s modulus, tensile yield strength, and tensile elongation at break of the blends and the composites decreased nonlinearly with increase in the HDPE weight fraction; it should be attributed to the low stiffness and strength of the HDPE resin; the difference in the Young’s modulus and tensile yield strength between the blends and the composites was insignificant under the same experimental conditions. Both the Young’s modulus and tensile yield strength of the blends and the composites increased nonlinearly with increase in the tensile rate in the case of low tensile rate level. Moreover, the predictions of the Young’s modulus and tensile strength were roughly close to the measured data from the blends.