Effect of Weathering on the Mechanical Properties of PVC Composite

Rouchdy R. ZAHRAN*, B.A GEBRIL*, Yehia M. S. El SHAZLY  *, AND Ahmed I.ALI**

*Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University,

Alexandria 21544-Egypt

**Egyptian Petrochemicals Company, Alexandria-Egypt

Abstract

Polyvinyl Chloride is one of the major used plastics in the world as it can be made into two totally different forms: Plasticized (flexible) and Unplasticized (rigid) with different formulations in each category which makes it a very versatile polymer. It has found many outdoor applications such as house sidings, windows, sewer pipes and doors frames, fences, decks, etc… With the growth in the building market and the push towards better performance; composite materials that are based on PVC are introduced. The mechanical properties can be highly improved by the addition of a reinforcement phase. In this study, the tensile properties of the PVC, PVC glass fiber composite and PVC mica composite are evaluated at time intervals while being subjected to a weathering condition that lasted up to 400 hours in a weather-ometer chamber. The effect of the addition of the silane coupling agent is also assessed. It has been observed that the weathering resulted in an increase in tensile strength and a decrease in elongation at break. This can be attributed to the formation of cross-links between the PVC polymeric chains. The silane resulted in an increase of the measured strength.

Effect of Weathering on the Mechanical Properties of PVC Composite