Influence of TiO2 and Fe2O3 fillers on the thermal properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)

The thermal properties of pure poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and PMMA filled with 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of nanometric particles of titanium oxide (TiO2) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3) were investigated under air atmosphere by DSC, TGA and LOI measurements on samples prepared by solvent casting method. In the presence of the filler, the thermal stability of the polymer appeared to be significantly improved. A linear relationship between LOI and glass transition temperature (Tg) suggests that the restriction of mobility of the polymer chains is directly linked to the increase of stability.