Experimental Study and Investigation of the Effect of Nano Silica and Nano Clay on the Tensile Strength Properties of Silent Joints (UPVC)

This research presents a comparative experimental study on the enhancement of tensile strength in silent UPVC pipe fittings using nano-silica and montmorillonite nano-clay reinforcements. Silent UPVC systems, while effective in noise reduction, often suffer from limited mechanical performance, particularly under tensile loads. To address this limitation, nano-silica (average particle size: ۲۰–۴۰ nm) and nano-clay (average particle size: ۵۰–۱۰۰ nm) were incorporated at varying weight percentages (۰ wt%, ۱ wt%, ۲ wt%, and ۳ wt%) into the UPVC matrix via melt blending. The tensile properties of the resulting nanocomposites were evaluated according to ASTM D۶۳۸ standard. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the dispersion of nanofillers and the morphology of the fracture surfaces. The results indicated a notable improvement in tensile strength with both nanoparticles, with an optimal performance observed at ۲ wt%. At this concentration, nano-silica increased the tensile strength by approximately ۲۸.۳%, while nano-clay contributed to a ۲۱.۷% enhancement, compared to the neat UPVC control sample. SEM analysis confirmed better dispersion and interfacial adhesion in nano-silica-filled samples, which correlates with the higher tensile performance. These findings demonstrate that incorporating nano-silica or nano-clay into silent UPVC fittings is an effective strategy to overcome mechanical limitations without compromising acoustic properties. The study provides a valuable foundation for the development of reinforced low-noise piping systems in civil and industrial applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

UPVC fittings ، nano-silica ، nano-clay ، tensile strength ، mechanical reinforcement ، nanocomposites ، silent piping systems