Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Composites Based on Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Filled with Organic Modified Illite Powder

Illite powder, modified by an aluminate coupling agent, was used as a filler to strengthen polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin with mechanical properties of rigid PVC/modified illite composite being tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied for the structural characterization of the raw materials. SEM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements were used for demonstrating the effect of modification of the illite powder. Results from tests of mechanical properties showed that, when the dosage of modified illite powder was 2 parts per hundred parts by weight, there was an obvious toughening effect on rigid PVC material; the notched impact strength was increased by 59% in comparison to neat rigid PVC, but the elongation of the composites decreased slightly.