Rheology enhancement of polycarbonate/calcium carbonate nanocomposites prepared by melt-compounding

The focus of the letter is to investigate the influence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles on the rheology enhancement of polycarbonate (PC) melt. The PC/CaCO3 nanocomposites with different compositions of CaCO3 were prepared by melt-compounding. Characterizations via energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) confirm the random dispersion of CaCO3 in the PC/CaCO3 masterbatch. The rheological experiments investigated with Rosand Presicion Rheometer show the remarkable rheology enhancement of PC melt due to the addition of CaCO3 nanoparticles. Mechanical tests show that, upon incorporation of only 1 wt.% CaCO3, the tensile modulus, the bending modulus, and the bending strength of PC are improved; however, the tensile strength and elongation at break are depressed.