Syntactic foams are foams where the cells (empty spaces) are created by hollow glass or polymeric spheres with diameters in the range of 10 to 100 µm. The use of Glass BubblesTM is suitable for obtaining low-density syntactic polypropylene foam without great loss in mechanical properties. The hollow spaces in PP syntactic foams may also improve the thermal insulating properties, in addition to isotropy and better surface finishing, due to the presence of the spherical filler. The main steps of this work included preliminary experiments using a torque rheometer to determine the resistance of the spheres to a minimum shear; obtaining the material in a pilot scale using a Single Screw Extruder, followed by pelletization of the material and injection of test specimens. Also, the analysis of homogeneity of the composites and the degree of interaction between polymeric matrix/filler in the presence or absence of functionalization agents was done with Scanning Electron Microscopy.
Polypropylene functionalization; maleic anhydride; extrusion; hollow glass microspheres composites
