Preparation and characterization of magnetic PVC nanocomposites

A new method was developed in order to achieve an excellent dispersion of magnetite onto a polymer matrix. For that a ferrofluid was prepared containing nanometric size (15nm) magnetite and di-octyl phthalate (PVC plasticizer), this ferrofluid was dispersed in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisol and magnetic PVC films were made by static casting from plastisols and ferrofluids based on magnetite. Flexible films were characterized by vibration sample magnetometry, and stress-strain testing; rheometry was used to characterize the ferrofluid and the (PVC) plastisols containing ferrofluid (inverse ferrofluid). The effect of magnetite content on the magnetic and mechanical properties of the films was studied and showed an increase on magnetization values with magnetic loading and a variation in the stress-strain with magnetic loading as function of magnetic load content. It was found that the inverse ferrofluid showed a Bingham fluid behavior.