The optimization of mechanical properties of polypropylene/styrene butadiene rubber/silicon carbide nanocomposites using response surface methodology

Polypropylene is a useful and widely consumed thermoplastic with very good properties that can be mixed with a combination of rubber and nanoparticles in order to eliminate its shortcomings. In this paper, the simultaneous combination of both the toughening effect of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) and the reinforcing effect of silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles were investigated in polypropylene matrix. Mechanical properties (tensile and impact strength [TS and IS]) of compounds were analyzed using the central composite design approach in Design‐Expert software. With two factors for input variables of SBR and SiC weight percentages, and their five levels (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25) and (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6), respectively, the central composite design approach employs 11 experiments for creation of models and the analysis of variance investigations with two output responses of TS and IS. Statistical results revealed that SBR and SiC contents had a significant effect on TS, IS, and the microstructure of compounds, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy images. To maximize all mechanical properties simultaneously with desirability functions, TS and IS of the optimum sample were computed to be 21.98 MPa and 8.66 kJ/m2 in amounts of 13.45 and 2.80 weight percentage (wt%) of SBR and SiC, respectively.Highlights By increasing silicon carbide (SiC) in polypropylene/styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR), tensile strength decreases after a peak due to agglomeration effect. By increasing SiC in polypropylene/SBR, impact strength decreases after a peak due to agglomeration effect. By increasing SiC, the rubber particles' dimensions decrease according to scanning electron microscopy analysis. Simultaneous maximum of tensile strength and impact strength are 21.98 MPa and 8.66 KJ/m2, respectively. Optimum value of SBR and SiC in above maximums are 13.45 and 2.8 wt%, respectively.