Effect of Nano Silica on the Mechanical Behaviour of High Impact Polypropylene/Nano Clay Composites

This study investigated the effect of nano silica on the mechanical behaviour of blends containing high impact polypropylene (hiPP) and nano clay. This study used nano silica from rice husk ash with an average particle size of 26 nm. The hiPP composites were mixed with 3 wt. % nano clay and different weight percentages (1%, 2%, and 3%) of nano silica were also added. The blending process used twin-screw extrusion, and composite samples were subsequently produced by injection moulding. Various parameters including tensile, compressive, and impact strengths were analyzed. In particular, the hiPP composite containing 3 wt. % nano clay and 2 wt. % nano silica had significantly improved mechanical properties, showing a 37.5% increase in tensile strength, a 56.8% increase in flexural strength, and a 51.4% increase in impact strength. It exhibited the highest tensile (53.51 MPa), flexural (67.19 MPa), and impact strength (5.17 KJ/m²) among all tested composites, demonstrating superior mechanical performance. In addition, the morphology of the composites was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).