Preparation of Highly Filled Metal Polymer Composites and Analysis of Their Physical Properties

This thesis presents a comprehensive study on the preparation and characterisation of a highly filled metal–polymer composite. The aim of this thesis is to prepare highly filled metal–polymer composites and investigate the effect of filler content on their physical properties. Recycled polyvinyl butyral (PVB) recovered from windshields was used as the matrix material, and two different fillers were used: magnetite iron oxide (FeO・Fe2O3) and manganese–ferrite–zinc oxide (MnO・Fe2O3・ZnO). The composites were prepared by melt blending using a micro-compounder with varying volume percentages of the filler (20, 30, 40, 50 and 60%). Following the preparation of composites in the micro-compounder, the composites were pressed into thin sheets with a dimension of 17mm*15mm*2mm using a heated compression moulding press (hot press). This process was performed for composites with 20, 30, and 40% volume ratios. However, for 50 and 60% volume ratios, a 40% volume ratio composite was initially prepared in the micro-compounder, and the remaining filler was manually added and mixed with the hot press. To determine the effect of the filling ratio on the mechanical properties, tensile testing was performed. Optical microscopy was used to study particle dispersion, along with an examination of the tensile fractured surface. Additionally, magnetic properties such as coercivity, permeability, losses, and maximum polarisation were measured. This study successfully demonstrated that a composite with an up to 60% filling ratio by volume can be achieved using the melt blending technique, without using any compatibilisers or processing aids. Overall, a highly filled polymer–metal composite is a promising class of composites that can find applications in various industries.