In this study, the influence of dilauroyl peroxide on mechanical and thermal properties of different polypropylene (PP) matrices was investigated. Polypropylene matrices, different molecular weight isotactic PP containing 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1 wt% of dilauroyl peroxide (DLP) were prepared by using a single-screw extruder. The effect of the visbreaking agent (DLP) on mechanical, physical, thermal and morphological properties of different molecular weight PP had been studied. Mechanical properties (tensile strength at break point, at yield and elongation at break point), melt flow index (MFI), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analyses of these matrices were examined. Melting (Tm) and crystallization (Tc) temperatures, crystallinity ratio (%) and enthalpies were determined. The microstructure of isotactic polypropylene matrix was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From SEM analysis, it was observed that the surface disorder increased by the increasing amount of DLP. As a result of DSC analyses, the crystallinity ratio of the PP matrices has varied between 1.64-7.27%. Mechanical properties of the matrices have been improved. Particularly, the mechanical tests of PP have given interesting results when compounded with 0.06-0.08 wt% dilauroyl peroxide (DLP). Mechanical properties and thermal decomposition processes were all changed by increasing the amount of DLP in the matrix structure.

Keywords: polypropylene matrix; mechanical properties; thermal analysis.