Effect of silica on the thermal properties of LDPE-WF-silica composites

The influence of nano-silica, synthesized and mixed with LDPE through a sol-gel process, on the thermal and mechanical properties of LDPE and LDPE/WF composites was investigated. SEM analyses of the samples showed the silica particles in the matrix to be nano-sized, and FTIR results indicated strong interaction between nano-silica and the LDPE matrix. Both wood fibre and nano-silica improved the thermal stability of the LDPE matrix, while the presence of nano-silica reduced the crystallinity of LDPE. The tensile strength of the samples decreased with increasing wood fibre content, while the tensile modulus substantially increased