Abstract
This study aims to improve the tensile strength and elastic modulus of nano-apatite/poly(ε-caprolactone) composites by silane-modification of the nano-apatite fillers. Three silane coupling agents were used to modify the surfaces of nano-apatite particles and composites of silanized apatite and PCL were prepared by a technique incorporating solvent dispersion, melting-blend and hot-pressing. The results showed that the silane coupling agents successfully modified the surfaces of nano-apatite fillers, and the crystallization temperatures of the silanized apatite/PCL composites were the higher than that of the non-silanized control material, although the melting temperature of the composites remained almost unaffected by silanization. The ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of the silanized composites reached 22.60 MPa and 1.76 GPa, as a result of the improved interfacial bonding and uniform dispersion of nano-apatite fillers. This study shows that the processing technique and silanization of nano-apatite particles can effectively improve the tensile strength and elastic modulus of nano-apatite/PCL composites.
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Acknowledgment
This project was financially supported by Scientific Research Fund of Leshan government (09GZD027) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30700172), Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education for Young Teacher (20070613019), National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Program Fund from MSTC (2006BAI16B01).
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Deng, C., Weng, J., Duan, K. et al. Preparation and mechanical property of poly(ε-caprolactone)–matrix composites containing nano-apatite fillers modified by silane coupling agents. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 21, 3059–3064 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-010-4158-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-010-4158-6