Modification of polymers using multilayered “smart pellet” additives: Part II

A magnesium-based inorganic whisker was compounded with polypropylene and with polysulfone (FP/PP and FPSF/PP*, respectively) and then multilayered into alternating structures with unfilled polypropylene (PP). These multilayered materials were cut into FP/PP and FPSF/PP* “smart pellets”, which were then added to polypropylene matrix polymer as masterbatches to deliver potential reinforcement to injection molded parts. The morphologies of both the smart pellets and the composites produced with them were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The inorganic whiskers were found to be aligned in the machine direction in the smart pellets. Mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by performing tensile, flexural, and impact strength tests. Inorganic whiskers combined with PSF offered higher flexural modulus in comparison to those via conventional blending; no significant improvement was observed in tensile modulus or impact strength of these composites.