EFFECTS OF GLASS BEAD SURFACE TREATMENT ON THE TENSILE PROPERTIES OF FILLED LDPE COMPOSITES

The effects of the content and surface treatment of glass beads on the tensile properties of the filled low density polyethylene (LDPE)composites were investigated at room temperature using an Instron materials tester. The results show that the elastic modulus ( E_c) of the composites increases with the addition of the volume fraction of glass beads and the yield strength ( σ _yR ) does not vary much. On the contrary, the tensile stress at break ( σ _bR ), fracture strain ( ε _bR ) and fracture energy ( E _bR ) decrease. At the same test conditions the values of E c, σ _yR and σ _bR of the composite with glass bead surface pretreated with a silane coupling agent are slightly higher than those of the untreated one, and the difference in ε _bR and E _bR between both the filled systems is very insignificant.