Tensile storage modulus of nano-zircon-reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) composites

Nano-zircon-reinforced poly (methyl methacrylate) (n-Z/PMMA) composites were prepared using a liquid mixture approach and their tensile storage moduli were investigated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The effect of the n-Z concentration, i.e., 1, 2.5, and 5 wt%, on the storage moduli of the PMMA-based composites was the focus of this work. The n-Z powder was synthesized from natural zircon sand from Kereng Pangi, Central Kalimantan. The natural zircon sand had been extracted to give pure zircon powder by magnetic separation, milling, leaching with HCl 2M, and reacting with NaOH. XRD patterns confirmed the formation of a single phase of zircon. A quantitative analysis of XRD data of 15h-milled zircon powder showed that the crystallite size of the zircon powder reduced to 33±1 nm (n-Z). The PMMA/n-Z composites were prepared by mixing the melted polymer and the n-Z powder at the desired concentration. DMA measurement was carried out to characterize the storage modulus of the composites. Results showed that the maximum storage modulus was reached by the composite with n-Z of 5 wt%. The composite exhibited storage modulus 1239 MPa higher than that of pure PMMA. The glass transition temperature of the PMMA/n-Z also increased, i.e., from 73°C for the pure PMMA to 86°C for the composite with 5 wt% n-Z addition.