An investigation of glass–fiber reinforced polyamide 66 during conditioning in various automotive fluids

Injection molded glass–fiber reinforced polyamide 66 composites and unreinforced polymer samples have been characterized during conditioning up to 900 h in water, ethylene glycol, and water–glycol mixture at 50 and 70°C. All materials showed significant fluid and temperature‐dependent weight and volume increase. Glass reinforcement significantly reduced the polymer fluid uptake. The absorption of the antifreeze mixture initially follows a simple rule of mixtures of the absorption of the two individual components. However, after absorption of ∼5% a significantly higher than predicted level of antifreeze absorption was observed. This coincided with a significant increase in the volumetric swelling coefficient. Dynamic mechanical analysis and unnotched impact testing indicated significant changes in composite mechanical performance dependent on conditioning fluid and temperature. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Structure–property relationships in glass‐reinforced polyamide,part 1: The effects of fiber content

We present the results of an extensive study of the performance of injection‐molded glass‐fiber reinforced polyamide 66 with glass content between 0 and 40% and based on two chopped glass products both sized with polyamide compatible sizing. Mechanical properties generally improved with increasing glass content, modulus linearly, strength with a maximum at 40–50% glass content, and impact showing an initial decrease from the resin value with a minimum at 4% glass content before increasing at higher glass contents. Residual fiber length decreased linearly with increasing glass content. Interfacial strength was found to be in the range of 30–36 MPa, and no significant differences in dry as molded performance was found between the 123D and 173X sizings. Conditioning these composites in either boiling water or water/glycol mixtures leads to a dramatic drop in both tensile modulus and tensile strength. This is most likely due to the high level of matrix plasticization. After conditioning, the 173X sized glass delivered a significantly higher level of tensile elongation at all fiber contents. Excellent agreement was obtained between the experimental data and the theoretical predictions of the rule of mixtures model for modulus and the Kelly‐Tyson model for strength over the range of fiber concentrations studied. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:552–562, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Performance of treated hybrid fiber reinforced-thermoplastic composites under extreme conditions. IV. Use of glass fiber and sawdust as hybrid fiber

The mechanical properties and dimensional stability of hardwood aspen in the form of sawdust and surface-treated glass fiber-polystyrene composites were evaluated under various extreme conditions, e.g., variation in the testing temperature (from +25° to ?20°C), exposure to boiling water and heat in an oven at +105°C. The compatibility of wood fiber with glass fiber and with polystyrene improved by precoating the wood fiber with a coupling agent, e.g., 8% isocyanate, 4% silane and polymer. The mechanical properties of the composites, in particular, treated sawdust/glass fiber-filled composites, increased under extreme conditions in comparison with those filled with nontreated sawdust/glass fiber. Under the same conditions, dimensional stability also supports this observation.     

Effect of layering pattern on the physical,mechanical, and thermal properties of jute/bagasse hybrid fiber‐reinforced epoxy novolac composites

In this study, randomly oriented short jute/bagasse hybrid fiber‐reinforced epoxy novolac composites were prepared by keeping the relative volume ratio of jute and bagasse of 1:3 and the total fiber loading 0.40 volume fractions. The effect of jute fiber hybridization and different layering pattern on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of jute/bagasse hybrid fiber‐reinforced epoxy novolac composites was investigated. The hybrid fiber‐reinforced composites exhibited fair water absorption and thickness swelling properties. To investigate the effect of layering pattern on thermomechanical behavior of hybrid composites, the storage modulus and loss factor were determined using dynamic mechanical analyzer from 30 to 200°C at a frequency of 1 Hz. The fracture surface morphology of the tensile samples of the hybrid composites was performed by using scanning electron microscopy. The morphological features of the composites were well corroborated with the mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated an increase in thermal stability of pure bagasse composites with the incorporation of jute fibers. The incorporation of hybrid fibers results better improvement in both thermal and dimensional stable compared with the pure bagasse fiber composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of the fiber orientation on the sorption kinetics of seawater in an epoxy/glass composite: A free-volume microprobe study

The conventional gravimetric method and positron lifetime spectroscopy have been used to investigate the effect of glass fiber orientation on the diffusion behavior of seawater in epoxy-based composite samples with glass fiber orientations of 0 and 45°. The equilibrium mass uptake of seawater in 45 and 0° orientation composites has been found to be 2.77 and 1.57%, respectively. The diffusion process is non-Fickian in a 45° fiber oriented composite, whereas it is Fickian in a 0° oriented composite. Free-volume data for 45° fiber oriented composites indicates swelling upon the sorption of seawater leading to structural relaxation, and hence the diffusion becomes non-Fickian. On the other hand, a 0° fiber orientation sample exhibits no swelling, and this suggests that water diffusion to the fiber–resin interface through the resin matrix is impeded by the large number of bonds. A polymer–fiber interaction parameter determined from these results also further supports the idea that interface interaction in a 45° fiber oriented composite is less than that in a 0° fiber oriented composite. Positron and gravimetric results support this argument. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Influence of fiber orientation and fiber content on properties of sisal‐jute‐glass fiber‐reinforced polyester composites

The incorporation of natural fibers with polymer matrix composites (PMCs) has increasing applications in many fields of engineering due to the growing concerns regarding the environmental impact and energy crisis. The objective of this work is to examine the effect of fiber orientation and fiber content on properties of sisal‐jute‐glass fiber‐reinforced polyester composites. In this experimental study, sisal‐jute‐glass fiber‐reinforced polyester composites are prepared with fiber orientations of 0° and 90° and fiber volume of sisal‐jute‐glass fibers are in the ratio of 40:0:60, 0:40:60, and 20:20:60 respectively, and the experiments were conducted. The results indicated that the hybrid composites had shown better performance and the fiber orientation and fiber content play major role in strength and water absorption properties. The morphological properties, internal structure, cracks, and fiber pull out of the fractured specimen during testing are also investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42968.     

Esterification effect of maleic anhydride on swelling properties of natural fiber/high density polyethylene composites

The natural fibers (banana, hemp, and sisal) and high density polyethylene were taken for the preparation of natural fiber/polymer composites in different ratios of 40 : 60 and 45 : 55 (w/w). These fibers were esterified with maleic anhydride (MA) and the effect of esterification of MA was studied on swelling properties in terms of absorption of water, at ambient temperature, and steam. It was found that the steam penetrates more within lesserperiod of time than water at ambient temperature. Untreated fiber composites show more absorption of steam and water in comparison to MA‐treated fiber composites. The more absorption of water was found in hemp fiber composites and less in sisal fiber composites. Steam absorption in MA‐treated and untreated fiber composites are higher than the water absorption in respective fiber composites. The natural fiber/polymer composites containing low amount of fibers show less absorption of steam and water at ambient temperature than the composites containing more amount of fibers in respective fiber composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Water absorption pattern and dimensional stability of oil palm fiber–linear low density polyethylene composites

The water absorption pattern and associated dimensional changes and solid loss of oil palm fiber–linear low density polyethylene composites was studied. The effects of fiber size (425–840, 177–425, and 75–177 μ), fiber loading (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%), and time of immersion (192 h at an interval of 24 h) on these parameters were also studied. Alkali treatment of fibers was done to reduce the hydrophilic nature of the composites and its effect was studied. It was found that the water absorption in most of the combinations followed typical Fickian behavior. The rate of water absorption and swelling increased with fiber loading. However, alkali treatment of the fibers resulted in a reduction of water absorption at higher fiber loadings only, and composites with higher fiber sizes exhibited higher water absorption. A sharp increase in the thickness swelling was observed in the initial days of immersion, which remained constant thereafter. The thickness swelling also increased with fiber size; however, a constant trend was not observed for the 75–177 μ fiber size. In addition to thickness swelling, composites also expanded linearly during water absorption; however, linear expansion was considerably less than thickness swelling. Higher fiber loading and alkali treatment caused more linear expansion. We observed that maximum solid loss on water immersion occurred with small‐sized and also alkali‐treated fiber composites. An increase in thickness and a decrease in linear dimension were observed after one sorption–desorption cycle. This irreversible change was also found to be proportional to fiber loading and alkali treatment. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effects of reprocessing on the hygroscopic behavior of natural fiber high‐density polyethylene composites

Detailed analysis of the effects of recycling process on long‐term water absorption, thickness swelling, and water desorption behavior of natural fiber high‐density polyethylene composites is reported. Composite materials containing polyethylene and wood flour, rice hulls, or bagasse fibers and 2% compatibilizer were produced at constant fiber loading and were exposed to a simulated recycling process consisting of up to five times grinding and reprocessing under controlled conditions. A wide range of analytical methods including water absorption/desorption tests, thickness swelling tests, density measurement, scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, contact angle, fiber length analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and tensile tests were employed to understand the hygroscopic behavior of the recycled composites. Water absorption and thickness swelling behaviors were modeled using existing predictive models and a mathematical model was developed for water desorption at constant temperature. Results indicated that generally the recycled composites had considerably lower water absorption and thickness swellings as compared with the original composites which were attributed to changes in physical and chemical properties of the composites induced by the recycling process. Water desorption was found to be faster after recycling. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Replacement of styrene with acrylated epoxidized soybean oil in an unsaturated polyester resin from propylene glycol,isophthalic acid,and maleic anhydride

Commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) resins typically contain a high amount of volatile toxic styrene. A non‐volatile acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was found to be an excellent replacement of styrene in a commercially available UPE resin [designated as Styrene‐(PG‐IPA‐MA)] that is derived from propylene glycol (PG), isophthalic acid (IPA), and maleic anhydride (MA) in terms of the mechanical properties of the resulting kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites. The AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins had low viscosity and long pot life below 70°C for a typical fiber‐reinforced composite application. AESO and PG‐IPA‐MA were not able to form a strong polymer matrix individually for fiber‐reinforced composites. However, a combination of AESO and PG‐IPA‐MA saw strong synergistic effects between them. The flexural, tensile, and water absorption properties of kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites made from AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins were comparable with or even superior to those from the Styrene‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resin. The AESO/(PG‐IPA‐MA) weight ratio was investigated for maximizing the mechanical properties of the kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites. The curing mechanism of the AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins is discussed in detail. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43052.     

Water absorption and dimensional stability of short kenaf fiber‐filled polypropylene composites treated with maleated polypropylene

The purpose of this research was to investigate the water absorption behavior and associated dimensional stability of kenaf‐polypropylene‐filled (PP/KF) composites. Composites with different fiber loadings, ranging from 0 to 40 wt %, were prepared with a twin‐screw extruder followed by hot press molding. The influence of the compatibilizer was also studied for PP/KF composite with 5 wt % maleated PP (MAPP). Water absorption testing was carried out at room temperature for 7 weeks. Tensile, flexural, and impact tests were also performed on control, wet, and re‐dried specimens. Increasing the fiber content resulted in higher water absorption and thickness swelling. The inferior mechanical properties of the wet composites were attributed to the effect of water, which deteriorates the interfacial properties of composites. On re‐drying, all properties were almost recovered because of the recovery of interfacial area as evident in scanning electron micrographs. Incorporation of the MAPP significantly improved the compatibility between the fiber and matrix and the mechanical properties of the composites compared with those without MAPP. It also diminished the water absorption as well as the related thickness swelling in the composites. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Mechanical properties of natural fiber hybrid composites based on renewable thermoset resins derived from soybean oil,for use in technical applications

Natural fiber composites are known to have lower mechanical properties than glass or carbon fiber reinforced composites. The hybrid natural fiber composites prepared in this study have relatively good mechanical properties. Different combinations of woven and non‐woven flax fibers were used. The stacking sequence of the fibers was in different orientations, such as 0°, +45°, and 90°. The composites manufactured had good mechanical properties. A tensile strength of about 119 MPa and Young's modulus of about 14 GPa was achieved, with flexural strength and modulus of about 201 MPa and 24 GPa, respectively. For the purposes of comparison, composites were made with a combination of woven fabrics and glass fibers. One ply of a glass fiber mat was sandwiched in the mid‐plane and this increased the tensile strength considerably to 168 MPa. Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed in order to determine the storage and loss modulus and the glass transition temperature of the composites. Microstructural analysis was done with scanning electron microscopy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Investigation of basalt fiber composite aging behavior for applications in transportation

New materials such as basalt fiber offer the promise of innovative applications in transportation because of documented strengths (V. Ramakrishnan, N.S. Tolmare, and V. Brik, “NCHRP‐IDEA Program Project Final Report, ” Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, (1998)). Previously, we found that mechanical properties of basalt twill fabric‐reinforced polymer composites were comparable to composites reinforced with glass fabrics of similar structures [Q. Liu, M.T. Shaw, R.S. Parnas, and A.M. McDonnell, Polymer Composites, 27(1), 41 (2006)]. Use in transportation also requires knowledge of environmental durability. This study reports the tolerance of basalt‐fiber‐reinforced polymer composites to salt water immersion, moisture absorption, temperature, and moisture cycling. Parallel tests were conducted for the corresponding glass‐reinforced polymer composites. Aging for 240 days in salt water or water decreased the Young's modulus and tensile strength of basalt composites slightly but significantly (p < 0.05). Freeze‐thaw cycling up to 199 cycles did not change the shear strength significantly, but aging in hot (40°C) salt water or water did decrease the shear strength of basalt composites (p < 0.05). The aging results indicate that the interfacial region in basalt composites may be more vulnerable to damage than that in glass composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 27:475–483, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Recycled milk pouch and virgin low‐density polyethylene/linear low‐density polyethylene based coir fiber composites

The viability of the thermomechanical recycling of postconsumer milk pouches [a 50 : 50 low‐density polyethylene/linear low‐density polyethylene (LDPE–LLDPE) blend] and their use as polymeric matrices for coir‐fiber‐reinforced composites were investigated. The mechanical, thermal, morphological, and water absorption properties of recycled milk pouch polymer/coir fiber composites with different treated and untreated fiber contents were evaluated and compared with those of virgin LDPE–LLDPE/coir fiber composites. The water absorption of the composites measured at three different temperatures (25, 45, and 75°C) was found to follow Fickian diffusion. The mechanical properties of the composites significantly deteriorated after water absorption. The recycled polymer/coir fiber composites showed inferior mechanical performances and thermooxidative stability (oxidation induction time and oxidation temperature) in comparison with those observed for virgin polymer/fiber composites. However, a small quantity of a coupling agent (2 wt %) significantly improved all the mechanical, thermal, and moisture‐resistance properties of both types of composites. The overall mechanical performances of the composites containing recycled and virgin polymer matrices were correlated by the phase morphology, as observed with scanning electron microscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Studies on mechanical characterization and water resistance of glass fiber/thermoplastic polymer bionanocomposites

This experimental work is aimed at studying the performance of rice husk flour/glass fiber reinforced high density polyethylene hybrid nanocomposites. To meet this objective, the nanoclay was compounded with high density polyethylene (HDPE), rice husk flour (RF), glass fiber, and coupling agent in an internal mixer; then, the samples were fabricated by injection molding. The concentration was varied from 0 to 6 per hundred compounds for nanoclay and from 0 to 15% for glass fiber, individually. The amount of coupling agent was fixed at 2% for all formulations. The morphology, water absorption, thickness swelling, and mechanical properties of nanocomposites were evaluated as a function of nanoclay and glass fiber contents. The results indicated that both modulus and strength were improved when glass fibers were added to the composites system but impact strength and moisture absorption further decreased with the increase of glass fiber content. The morphology of the nanocomposites has been examined by using X‐ray diffraction. The morphological findings revealed that the nanocomposites formed were intercalated. The mechanical analysis showed that the biggest improvement of the tensile and flexural modulus and strengths can be achieved for the nanoclay loading at 4 per hundred compounds. However, further increasing of the loading of nanoclay resulted in a decrease of impact strength. Finally, it was found that addition of nanoclay reduced the water absorption and thickness swelling of the composites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Chemical interaction between carbon fibers and surface sizing

Functional groups on the surface of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐based carbon fibers and in fiber surface sizing are likely to react during the curing process of composites, and these reactions could affect the infiltration and adhesion between the carbon fibers and resin. T300B‐3000‐40B fibers and fiber surface sizing were heat‐treated at different temperatures, and the structural changes of both the fiber surface sizing and extracted sizing after heat treatment were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the concentration of epoxy groups in both the fiber surface sizing and extracted sizing decreased with increasing heat‐treatment temperature and decreased to zero after treatment at 200°C. The concentration of epoxy groups in the extracted sizing was lower than that of the fiber surface sizing after treatment under the same conditions; this indicated that the rate of reaction between the carbon fibers and fiber surface sizing was higher than the reaction rate of the fiber surface sizing system. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals that the content of C? O bonds and activated carbon atoms on the surface of the desized treated carbon fibers was the highest when the heat‐treatment temperature was 150°C; this proved the reaction between the carbon fibers and the fiber surface sizing. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Water absorption behavior of PALF/GF hybrid polyester composites

The water absorption characteristics of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF)/glass fiber (GF) hybrid polyester(PER) composites, and chemically modified PALF/polyester composites were evaluated by immersion in distilled water at 28, 60, and 90°C. The diffusion properties of the intimately mixed (IM) and the layered hybrid composite GPG (Glass skin and PALF core) of different PALF/GF ratio at the three temperatures were compared in order to identify the environmental ageing mechanism at different temperatures. The effect of temperature on the kinetics and thermodynamics of diffusion were also examined. The water uptake of both IM and GPG hybrid composites was decreased with increase in glass fiber content; the lowest water uptake was observed for 0.46 V_f GF hybrid composite. Among the chemically modified composites, vinyl tri 2‐methoxy ethoxy silane treated composites showed the lowest water uptake. Finally, parameters like diffusion, sorption, and permeability coefficients were determined. It was observed that equilibrium water uptake is dependent on the nature of the composite and temperature. Experimental results were also compared with theoretical predictions. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Environmental durability of banana‐fiber‐reinforced phenol formaldehyde composites

We explored the environmental aging behavior of banana‐fiber‐reinforced phenol formaldehyde (PF) composites. The composites were subjected to water aging, thermal aging, soil burial, and outdoor weathering. The effects of chemical modification and hybridization with glass fibers on the degradability of the composites in different environments were analyzed. The extent of degradation was measured by changes in the weight and tensile properties after aging. Absorbed water increased the weight of water‐aged composites, and chemical treatments and hybridization decreased water absorption. The tensile strength and modulus of the banana/PF composites were increased by water aging, whereas the strength and modulus of the glass/PF composites were decreased by water aging. As the glass‐fiber loading was increased in the hybrid composites, the increase in strength by water aging was reduced, and at higher glass‐fiber loadings, a decrease in strength was observed. The tensile properties of the composites were increased by oven aging. The percentage weight loss was higher for soil‐aged samples than for samples weathered outdoors. The weight loss and tensile strength of the glass/PF composites and banana/glass/hybrid/PF composites were much lower than those of the banana/PF composites. Silane treatment, NaOH treatment, and acetylation improved the resistance of the banana/PF composites on outdoor exposure and soil burial. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2521–2531, 2006     

Adhesion of glass/epoxy composites influenced by thermal and cryogenic environments

Little information regarding the effects of prior thermal and cryogenic conditionings on hydrothermal and mechanical behavior, for varied volume fractions of constituent phases in polymer matrix fiber composites, has been published to date. The present experimental investigation uses flexural test to assess the effects of thermal and cryogenic treatments, and concurrently followed hydrothermal aging on quality of adhesion of multilayered laminates for 55, 60, and 65 wt % of E-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The specimens were conditioned at 80°C and −80°C temperatures for different time durations, and thereafter they were immediately immersed in boiling water for an hour. Water absorption rates were evaluated for those conditioned specimens in such environment. Absorption study in hydrothermal aging showed a remarkable variation for the two cases of prior conditionings. The shear strength values were compared with the test value of as-cured samples. Degradation of mechanical property was found to be less prevalent during hydrothermal aging, with a prior conditioning at 80°C temperature compared to −80°C treated glass/epoxy composites. Improved shear strength for almost all conditions of thermal conditioning in the initial stages has highlighted better adhesion influenced by postcuring phenomena during thermal or cryogenic conditioning. It was also observed from water absorption data that high temperature conditioning contributed more strengthening effect and better adhesion at the interfaces. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1943–1949, 2006     

Role of gamma radiation and EGDMA on the physico–mechanical properties of jute fabrics/polypropylene composites

Jute fabrics reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites (45 wt % fiber) were prepared by compression molding and their mechanical properties were investigated. Both jute fabrics and PP sheets were treated with gamma radiation (250–1,000 krad dose) at a rate of 350 krad/h. Irradiated jute fabrics were soaked into ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) solutions (5–40% by weight) and cured in an oven at different temperatures (40–100°C) for 60 min. The percentage of polymer loading (PL) was evaluated and found that 20% EGDMA‐treated jute fabrics contains the highest PL. Composites made of 20% EGDMA‐treated jute fabrics were studied further. It was found that the treatment using the EGDMA improved the mechanical properties of the composites significantly. Scanning electron microscopy and aging properties of untreated and treated composites were performed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers