AFM Measurements and Testing Properties of HDPE and PBT Composites with Fillers in the Form of Montmorillonite and Aluminum Hydroxide

Abstract

This paper presents the effect of the addition of fillers such as aluminum hydroxide or montmorillonite on the structure and properties of polymers such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Both types of specimens were obtained by injection molding. X-ray diffraction examinations were performed on the materials obtained to determine the effect of the addition of the fillers used on the degree of crystallinity of the composites. The density and hardness of the composites were evaluated, and the static tensile test and the analysis of the structure parameters using atomic force microscopy (AFM) were also carried out. It was shown that the addition of powder fillers to polymers such as high-density polyethylene and polybutylene terephthalate affects the structure parameters such as surface roughness, mean grain size, anisotropy ratio, fractal dimension, the corner frequency of the composites, and mechanical properties such as Young’s pseudo-modulus, average adhesion force, hardness, and tensile strength.