Investigation of the Effect Of Morphology, Electric Field, and Cooling Regime on the Mechanical Lifetime of Isotactic Polypropylene (iPP)-based SiO₂ Nanocomposites

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-668-5_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

supramolecular structure; fast and slow cooling; spherulites; mechanical durability; activation energy

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of incorporating nanosized silicon dioxide (SiO₂) particles at various volume fractions (1–10 vol.%) into an isotactic polypropylene (iPP) matrix on the resulting nanocomposites’ morphology, mechanical properties and lifetime (τ_w). The composite samples were prepared by hot pressing, and their supramolecular structures were controlled by varying the crystallisation conditions (fast and slow cooling). Additionally, the effect of an external electric field on the material's mechanical stability and internal structure was evaluated using the electrothermopolarisability (ETP) process. Analysis based on Jurkov's theory revealed that the optimal nanofiller concentration is 5 vol.%. At this concentration, the composite's mechanical strength increased by 18%, aggregation in the structure was suppressed, and the number of active damage sites decreased. Modifying the crystallisation regime, particularly by rapid cooling, produced a more amorphous and homogeneous structure, thereby enhancing mechanical durability. Applying ETP at the optimal field intensity (10⁷ V/m) maximised the lifetime by strengthening interphase interactions. Morphological and micromechanical analyses showed that combining proper SiO₂ dispersion with electrothermal treatment significantly improves the structural stability and mechanical performance of iPP-based composites. These findings suggest that such nanocomposites have potential for use in engineering applications requiring long-term performance, particularly for electrical insulation.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Hijran Ibrahimova
AU  - Rovnag Rzayev
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/14
TI  - Investigation of the Effect Of Morphology, Electric Field, and Cooling Regime on the Mechanical Lifetime of Isotactic Polypropylene (iPP)-based SiO₂ Nanocomposites
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Current Problems in Engineering and Applied Sciences (ICCPEAS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 146
EP  - 158
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-668-5_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-668-5_16
ID  - Ibrahimova2026
ER  -