In this study, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and silica (SiO 2 ) microcomposites and nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing in a Haake torque rheometer. The fusion and rheological behaviors of PVC/SiO 2 composites were evaluated by means of torque data recorded during processing to investigate the influence of the SiO 2 particle size on these behaviors. It was found that the fusion time and the fusion temperature decreased with the decreasing of SiO 2 particle size, whereas the fusion torque increased with the decreasing of particle size. The PVC/Si-25-nm nanocomposite (PVC including the 25 nm of SiO 2 ) showed the highest apparent viscosity among the PVC/SiO 2 microcomposites and nanocomposites prepared in this study. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that some aggregates, whose sizes about 60-90 nm, were formed when the 25 nm of SiO 2 was used as filler. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:1574-
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.