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The Influence of Treating Low-grade Kaolin on Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical properties of the PVC/Kaolin Composite: An Example from Sinai, Egypt

Mohamed Ragab

The present study aims to investigate the role of raw and treated kaolin as a filler in the main characteristics of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) composites. Raw low-grade kaolin sample from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt was physically and thermally treated using magnetic separation and calcination process at 700°C for 120 minutes, respectively, to produce calcined kaolin. Analysis by X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence were performed on both untreated and calcined kaolin samples, which were used as fillers in the synthesis of PVC compounds. To characterize the resultant products, density, tensile strength, elongation, thermal stability, and volume resistivity tests were carried out on these components. The results show an improvement in the quality of the raw kaolin after the application of the beneficiation processes. The TiO₂% decreased from 3.72% to 2.78%, Fe₂O₃% decreased from 1.6% to 1.04%, and Loss on Ignition (LOI) decreased from 10.69% to 0.43%. Moreover, the calcined kaolin enhanced the tensile properties of the prepared PVC composites. The volume resistivity of the PVC composites were also increased from 2.1469 × 1012 Ωcm for PVC/raw Kaolin (KL) composite sample to 8.8870 × 1013 Ωcm for PVC/Calcined Kaolin (CKL). However, the thermal properties show higher thermal stability values for PVC/ KL samples.