Modified Wollastonite Fibers Improve the Mechanical Properties and Sintering Properties of Polyethylene Composites

ABSTRACT The surface modification of wollastonite fibers (WF) was conducted using aluminate ester, zinc stearate, and silane KH‐560. Contact angle measurements revealed that zinc stearate exhibited the most pronounced modification effect among the three agents. Subsequently, WF modified with different dosages of zinc stearate was mixed with the PE/POE matrix at mass fractions of 60%, 65%, and 70% to prepare ceramic composites. Mechanical property evaluations demonstrated that the optimal zinc stearate loadings were 4%, 3%, and 2% for WF mass fractions of 60%, 65%, and 70%, respectively, with a decreasing trend in the optimal modifier dosage as the WF filler content increased. For the composite sample (W‐65‐3) containing 65 wt.% WF modified with 3% zinc stearate, the melt flow rate (MFR) was measured at 0.46 g/10 min, representing a 310% increase compared to the unmodified counterpart (W‐65‐0). This composite exhibited a tensile strength of 8.99 MPa and an elongation at break of 176.64%. Although the tensile strength decreased by over 20% relative to W‐65‐0, the elongation at break showed a nearly 1000% enhancement. High‐temperature sintering at 950°C revealed that the addition of zinc stearate effectively improved the surface smoothness of the sintered bodies, indicating its positive role in optimizing the ceramization behavior of the composites.