Mechanical, thermal, and dynamic compression of high-density polyethylene nanocomposites with graphene, montmorillonite, and calcium carbonate

This study evaluates the effect of calcium carbonate (NCC), montmorillonite Cloisite 15A (MMT), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) nanofillers on the morphological, rheological, thermal, mechanical, and dynamic compression of polymeric films. Samples of pure high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE reinforced with 1% of each nanofiller, as well as hybrid samples containing 0.5% of each nanofiller, were prepared using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder and subsequently processed through a single-screw extruder equipped with a tubular plastic film extrusion. The films (~ 50 µm thickness) display a homogeneous surface, except for the GNP-containing sample and a single thermal loss event at around 475 °C. The results of mechanical strength analysis indicate that NCC and MMT reinforce the film, while GNP, which has the highest degree of crystallinity (62%), shows inferior values to pure PE. In the dynamic compression test using the Hopkinson bar, the highest stress and toughness are observed for samples containing 1% NCC with maleic anhydride, 1% MMT, and 1% GNP, and the hybrid samples do not yield satisfactory results. The choice of nanofiller to be added to HDPE films depends on the desired application and properties.