Mechanical and Optical Properties of Nanosilica-filled Polycarbonate Composites

Abstract

In this study, nano-SiO2-filled polycarbonate (PC) composites were produced by direct melt compounding in a Brabender mixer and then compression molded. The mechanical properties were characterized using tensile test, compact tension test, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results indicate that both stiffness and fracture toughness of PC composites are increased at low particle contents compared to neat PC. However, particle loadings higher than 4 vol. % lead to a decrease in analyzed mechanical properties. The transparency of PC composites, characterized by light transmission, haze, and clarity, is decreased with increase in particle content due to increasing light loss and thermal degradation of PC matrix during kneading process.