Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Applied Physics A (2019) 125:611 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-019-2899-8 Methods for quantitative determination of fller weight fraction and fller dispersion degree in polymer composites: example of low‑density polyethylene and NaA zeolite composite F. S. Marinkovic 1  · D. M. Popovic 1  · J. D. Jovanovic 2  · B. S. Stankovic 2  · B. K. Adnadjevic 2 Received: 24 April 2019 / Accepted: 1 August 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Novel methods for the determination of fller weight fraction and fller dispersion degree in polymer composite have been established. The XRD and FTIR methods used for the determination of zeolite weight fraction are based on measurement of selected integral area of one of the XRD difraction peaks and one of the FTIR absorption bands, respectively. Filler dis- persion degree was determined from the calculation of weight fraction of zeolite in randomly selected points of composite sample. Powdery calibration mixtures of low-density polyethylene and NaA zeolite were prepared with the certain zeolite weight fraction ranging from 5 to 30 wt%. The XRD patterns and FTIR spectra of calibration mixtures were recorded. The efect of zeolite weight fraction on the integral area and full width on half maximum of the difraction peaks and absorption bands of the NaA zeolite were evaluated. The composite samples in the form of plates which contains from 5 to 30 wt% of zeolite were prepared by the compression moulding technique. Weight fraction and dispersion degree of zeolite in the composite, as well as the errors for their determination, were established. 1 Introduction It is well known that the physicochemical properties and performances of composite materials depend not only on the physicochemical properties of the constituents, but rather on the composite microstructure, i.e. on the disper- sion and orientation of the fller and on the fller–fller and the fller–matrix interactions [1]. Having this in mind, for the production of polymeric composite materials, it is important to develop new methods that enable complete dispersion of fller particles in the polymer matrix. On the other side, to verify methods, it is extremely important to have sim- ple, accessible and reliable procedures by which one can determine the degree dispersion of fller particles within the composite material. In the literature, there are a number of diferent methods for the determination of the dispersion degree of the fller particles within the composite. To determine the dispersion degree of carbon nano- tube (CNT) particles within an epoxy resin, Glaskova et al. [2] developed a new, so-called quantitative optical, method based on optical microscopy images and absor- bency obtained from UV–Vis spectrometry. With theirs co-workers, Lingaiah [3], Gojny [4], Biswas [5] and Luo [6] developed methods for monitoring filler dispersion degree in a polymer matrix which are based on scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Determination of the degree dispersion of the fller using an atomic force microscopy was shown in the paper of Yao and Wang [7]. The application of dynamic light scattering and centrifugal sedimentation analysis for the determina- tion of aggregate/agglomerate size, structure and dispersion degree in composites was presented in research of Notle et al. [8]. A new method for determination of both thick- ness and dispersion of the fler using the phase spectrum ultrasonic of two additional pulses refected back from the front and back surfaces and attenuation was shown in paper of He and Zheng [9]. Determination of dispersion degree of glass beads in polypropylene (PP) and PP/EPDM matrix using thermogravimetric analysis was done by Liang and Li [10]. Dispersion and thermal conductivity of CNT com- posites were investigated by Wang et al. [11]. The relation- ship between the microstructures and electrical/mechanical * J. D. Jovanovic jelenaj@fh.bg.ac.rs 1 Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade 11000, Serbia 2 Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade 11000, Serbia