A novel surface modification method for anhydrite whisker

Calcium sulfate anhydrite whisker (CSAW, anhydrous-insoluble) was modified with inorganic-organic surface modification method. The modified-CSAW (M-CSAW) was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results indicate that trisodium phosphate and stearic acid have remarkable effects on CSAW. The contact angle of M-CSAW reaches up to 108.43 degrees. Trisodium phosphate actives the surface of CSAW compared to traditional methods (acid or base activation approaches), and then chemical reaction occurs on the surface of CSAW between COO- and Ca2+. The M-CSAW can be potentially applied to whisker/polymer composite materials. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.