Distribution of microhardness in polypropylene/talc microcomposite

In this study the distribution of microhardness in a polypropylene microcomposite reinforced with talc microparticles was measured experimentally. The microhardness was measured at different points of the composite material to try to observe the effects of the talc particles and their proportion in the composite on the hardness of the reinforced polymer. Four proportions of talc were used: 5, 40 and 50 wt.%, in addition to virgin polypropylene, which was taken as the reference. Statistical analysis was performed on the distribution of the microhardness in the PP+talc composites to determine the average microhardness and the standard deviation. The obtained results reveal a random distribution of the microhardness of the composite, but in general the presence of talc particles increases the microhardness of the polypropylene.