Importance of Fillers

The term Filler indicates something used to fill gaps mainly fillers are particles added to material (plastics, composite material and concrete) to improve some properties of the mixture material. Worldwide more than 53 million tons of fillers are used every year in different application areas, such as paper, plastics, rubber, paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants. As such, fillers, produced by huge nmnber of companies, rank among the world s major raw materials and are a major constituent in a variety of goods for daily consmner needs. 

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Shaterzadeh et al. (1998) notes the importance of filler distribution as well as interphase in the generalized self-consistent three-phase model used to predict the dynamic moduli of an epoxy/A-glass-bead system. 

Surface Area. Surface area is the available area of fillers, be it on the surface or in cracks, crevices, and pores. The values obtained from different methods for measuring the surface area of a filler may vary significandy. These variations are because of the nature of the methods and in many instances yield information related to the heterogeneity of the surface. Understanding the surface area is important because many processing factors are dependent on the surface area, eg, ease of filler dispersion, rheology, and optimum filler loading. 

True Density or Specific Gravity. The average mass per unit volume of the individual particles is called the tme density or specific gravity. This property is most important when volume or mass of the filled composition is a key performance variable. The tme density of fillers composed of relatively large, nonporous, spherical particles is usually determined by a simple Hquid displacement method. Finely divided, porous, or irregular fillers should be measured using a gas pycnometer to assure that all pores, cracks, and crevices are penetrated. 

The retention of fillers in the sheet during the forming process is important. Both hydrodynamic mechanisms and colloidal or coflocculation phenomena are significant in determining filler retention (7). Polymeric retention aids are used to bridge between filler particles and fibers. Talc is sometimes used with mechanical pulp furnishes in order to reduce the deposition of pitch-like materials onto paper machinery. 

Thermal Analyses. Thermal analysis often complements x-ray data in providing information on phase composition. The thermal behavior of aluminum hydroxides is particularly important in filler type appHcations. 

It is important to stress that with each chemical type of filler a number of grades are usually available. Such grades may differ in the following ways ... 

In evaluating the economics of a filler it is important to consider the volume of filler that can be added bringing the processing and service properties below that which can be tolerated. Thus in some cases it may be more economical to use a filler with a higher volume cost because more can be incorporated. To judge the economics of a filler simply on its price per unit weight is of little merit. 

For electrical insulation china clay is commonly employed whilst various calcium carbonates (whiting, ground limestone, precipitated calcium carbonate, and coated calcium carbonate) are used for general purpose work. Also occasionally employed are talc, light magnesium carbonate, barytes (barium sulphate) and the silicas and silicates. For flooring applications asbestos has been an important filler. The effect of fillers on some properties of plasticised PVC are shown in Figure 12.21 (a-d). 

Of these methods the first gives only marginal improvements whilst the second approach has far too severe an effect on the softening point to be of any commercial value. The use of fillers has been practised to some extent in the United States but is not of importance in Europe. Deliberate orientation is limited to filament and sheet. 

Density. Most fillers added in rubber base formulation have a density between 2 and 2.7 g/cm-, except barium sulphate (4-4.9 g/cm- ) and zinc oxide (5.6 g/cm ). Addition of filler increases the free volume of the polymer and, in general, there is a critical concentration of filler at which the density of the formulation increases. The method of incorporation of filler in the adhesive formulation is important because air voids may appear when a poor dispersion is produced. 

The solvent-borne NR adhesives show an important mechanical component in the bonding process, and therefore bulk mechanical and rheological properties (addition of fillers is quite effective) are important. In fact, these adhesives are mainly suitable when at least one of the surfaces to be joined is water-porous (paper, concrete, leather, textiles). 

Fillers. Addition of fillers is not common in polychloroprene latex formulations. Fillers are used to reduce cost and control rheology, solids content and modulus. However, cohesion and adhesion are reduced. Calcium carbonate, clay and silica are some of the fillers than can be added. Alumina trihydrate is often used when resistance to degradation by flame is important. 

In other parts of the world, plywood adhesive fillers are obtained from local sources and may be quite different than those used in North America. In Southeast Asia, banana flour is quite important. In Europe, calcium carbonate (chalk) is often used. Nearly any fibrous material or fine particulate material capable of forming a functionally stable suspension can be made to work if the formulator is sufficiently skillful. However, the mix formulator will be very specific about the type and grade of filler to be used in a particular mix. Substitutions may lead to serious gluing problems. 

An important consideration is the effect of filler and its degree of interaction with the polymer matrix. Under strain, a weak bond at the binder-filler interface often leads to dewetting of the binder from the solid particles to formation of voids and deterioration of mechanical properties. The primary objective is, therefore, to enhance the particle-matrix interaction or increase debond fracture energy. A most desirable property is a narrow gap between the maximum (e ) and ultimate elongation ch) on the stress-strain curve. The ratio, e , eh, may be considered as the interface efficiency, a ratio of unity implying perfect efficiency at the interfacial Junction. 

The binder serves as a glue to hold the zeolite, matrix, and filler together. Binder may or may not have catalytic activity. The importance of the binder becomes more prominent with catalysts that contain high concentrations of zeolite. 

Important for polymer processing is the fact that when the concentration of a hard filler is increased in the composite, the unsteady flow (in the sense of large-scale distortions) of the extrudate occurs at higher shear rates (stresses) than in the case of the base polymer [200, 201,206]. Moreover, the whirling of the melt flow is even suppressed by small additions of filler [207]. 

The important thing is that in all works where the uniformity of filler distribution in the matrix has been studied (cf., e.g. [316, 317]) a better dispersion of the filler has been reported for PFCM than could be achieved in the case of mechanical mixing of ingredients even if carried out in a solvent. 

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