impact strength

The use of rubber crumb from used tires in concrete as a partial replacement of natural aggregates is an ecologically oriented direction of their utilization. When rubber crumb was added to Portland cement, a decrease in strength was observed. Modification of rubber-containing Portland cement systems with a complex organic and mineral additive makes it possible to compensate for the loss of compressive strength and provide increased impact strength. Samples without rubber show high strength but are characterized by fragility and sudden destruction of the material.

PVC/wood flour composites were prepared by compression molding using sapwood and heartwood from Angelin Pedra as filler. The composites specimens were subjected to water immersion and impact tests. The results showed that the water absorption of all composites increased slightly with increasing immersion time and wood content. However, the values were considerably low compared with control sample, common solid woods and wood plastic composites reported in literature.

The property of brittleness for polymers and polymer-based materials (PBMs) is an important factor in determining the potential uses of a material. Brittleness of polymers may also impact the ease and modes of polymer processing, thereby affecting economy of production. Brittleness of PBMs can be correlated with certain other properties and features of polymers; to name a few, connections to free volume, impact strength, and scratch recovery have been explored. A common thread among all such properties is their relationship to chemical composition and morphology.