Investigation of the properties of polyethylene with nanodimensional fillers by special processing of macrostructure images

Abstract

In the present work, results of investigation into the composite polymer material structure obtained with the help of mathematical methods of image processing are presented. The suggested methods of image construction and processing allow the type, concentration, and modifying effect of the filler to be identified.

Investigation of the properties of filled polyethylene by the texture pattern of macrostructure images

“…The results obtained and the data presented in Ref. 3 suggest that the changes occurring in the structure of a filled PE with a wide spectrum of fillers and their concentration can be evaluated. The algorithm proposed for processing Fourier spectra allows one to use for analysis the spectral pattern, which reflects the periodicity in the distribution of different textures, and to reduce the data matrix to one parameter to estimate its relation to the physical characteristics.…”

“…The resulting Fourier spectrum allowed a qualitative interpretation of the texture. For example, the images showing a great number of texture differences possess finer texture regions [3]. At the second stage, the Fourier spectrum was mathematically processed with the use of a specially developed algorithm to bring it to a form comfortable for interpretation and association with the physical quantities.…”

“…Therefore, it was hypothesized that the changes in structure and properties of a material produced by using various fillers can be investigated by measuring the parameters of the texture pattern of the macrostructure image and by processing the data obtained with a specially developed procedure. This hypothesis was supported in studying the "structure-properties" interrelation for polyethylene filled with nanosized powders [3]. The electric strength of the polyethylene was estimated in relation to the concentration and type of the filler.…”

Providing stability of properties of filled polymers under the joint effect of exploitation factors

“…The objects of research were polymers filled with technical carbon. Various approaches have already been developed to control the stability of their properties, including application of polymers of different chemical compositions, electroconductive fillers with different concentrations and grades, and surface modifications [1,5,6].…”

“…The main of them are relatively low cost of raw materials, absence of expensive technological operations, and limitations on the product overall dimensions. They can operate as electrical insulating or resistive materials [1,2].…”