Preparation and Properties of Kaolin-Polyethylene Particulate Composites

Clay-polyethylene particulate composites were prepared using surface modified kaolinite particles. The modification was achieved by a thermal decomposition-hydration-redecomposition technique. Properties such as density, porosity, tensile properties, abrasive wear and dielectric properties of the composites containing 0.05–0.2 volume fraction of surface modified kaolinite were measured and compared to those containing untreated kaolinite. It was observed that composites containing surface modified kaolinite showed improvements in the above properties compared to the composites containing untreated ones. The microstructural observations on the polished surface of the composites indicated a fairly uniform distribution of the particles with less agglomeration in case of the surface modified kaolinite composites as compared to those containing unmodified particles.