Atmospheric-pressure annealing effect on the impact fracture toughness of injection-molded zeolite-HDPE composite

This study focuses on an investigation of the fracture behavior of zeolite-HDPE composites after annealing treatment under atmospheric pressure. Annealing processes were carried out at various holding time (12, 24, 36, and 48 hours). The fracture toughness of composites was investigated based on the essential work of fracture (EWF) concept, and the surface morphology of composite was evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the essential work of the fracture increases with the increase of the holding time of annealing process up to 36 hours. However, all tested materials exhibit negative values in term of non-essential fracture work. The outer plastic deformation zone cannot be observed around the ligaments of the fracture propagation pathway on the surface of the broken sample. Thus, all the fracture energy was used to create a new fracture surface in the inner fracture process zone.