Effect of Solvent on Mechanical and Physical Properties Of PMMA/Sic Composite Films

Abstract

The selection of solvent in solution casting is crucial as it may affect the morphology and properties of the resulting composite films. In this study, the effect of solvent on the properties of poly(methyl methacrylate)/silicon carbide (PMMA/SiC) composite films was investigated. By using acetone, the solution casting was carried out at various solvent-to-solid (S/S) ratio, from 4:1 to 10:1 at room temperature. It was found that the increasing S/S ratio enhanced the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of pristine PMMA films but deteriorated its elongation at break, up to 8:1 ratio. The crystallinity of the PMMA films was found to increase with S/S ratio, as confirmed by the higher peak intensity in X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns and the SEM micrographs. In the second part of the study, by using S/S ratio of 8:1, the nano sized SiC (0.25 wt%) was added as a filler into PMMA and toluene with different ratio was added as a secondary solvent. The addition of SiC has increased the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of PMMA/SiC but decreased its elongation at break. However, the presence of toluene reduced the tensile strength of the PMMA/SiC composite films and resulting in rougher tensile fracture surfaces as shown in SEM micrographs. The toluene with nonpolar nature had affected the distribution of SiC in PMMA. It can be concluded that the properties of the PMMA composites films can be tailored according to the needs of applications.