Random glass mat reinforced thermoplastic composites. Part V: Statistical characterization of the tensile modulus

Random glass mat thermoplastic composites (GMT), which can be thermostamped to form complex deep-drawn parts with ribs and boxes, are complex material systems in which the local elastic modulus and local strength vary widely and randomly across the material (the tensile modulus can vary by a factor of two over a 12.7-mm length scale). And the values of these local properties depend on the length scale of measurement. The random, large-scale point-to-point variations in their properties cannot be described by a single number. The broad distribution of elastic moduli in GMT has been modeled by a four-parameter probability density function. Moments of this distribution function provide numerical measures that can be used for comparing data sets representing properties of different material samples. This statistical characterization is used to establish the consistency and the random nature of previously obtained elastic moduli data sets. The framework is also used to predict the effect of the gage length used to measure the local elastic modulus on the shape of the modulus probability density function.     

Stamping rheology of glass mat reinforced thermoplastic composites

Glass mat reinforced thermoplastics (GMTs) offer a useful combination of mechanical properties and formability. In principle, these composites may be based on any thermoplastic matrix. In practice, matrix selection is limited because of its impact on the manufacturing and compression molding processes. In this work an isothermal squeezing flow technique is used to determine the apparent biaxial extensional viscosities of polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polypropylene-based GMTs. Experimental load-deformation data are interpreted by treating the GMTs as viscous, incompressible Newtonian fluids. Two primary effects are observed: (1) the composites appear to strain harden as they are deformed, and (2) GMT apparent biaxial extensional viscosities correlate with the high rate of deformation shear viscosities of the matrices. A mechanism that explains the second result is proposed.     

Random glass mat reinforced thermoplastic composities. Part VII: A statistical approach to strength

Large macroscopic-scale variations in the tensile moduli and tensile strengths are charcteristic of random glass mat composites (GMT). The large-scale, point-to-point variations in the local stiffness is characterized by a probability density function that can be used to predict the stiffness of parts only in a statistical sense. Weibull statistics widely used for modeling the scatter in the strength of brittle materials cannot be applied to the large variations in the strength of GMTs: The macroscopic stress field in brittle materials is assumed to be deterministic, while the stress field in GMTs varies randomly on a macroscopic scale. A statistical approach for characterizing the strength of GMTs is developed by combining an empirically established strength-modulus correlation with the statistical characterization of the tensile modulus.     

Pressure/temperature measurements during compression molding of glass mat reinforced thermoplastic composites

Cavity pressure transducer measurements are used to determine the effective viscosity of glass reinforced polypropylene composites during compression molding. Part solidification time during the cycle is determined from changes in pressure profiles at different locations in the tool. Higher pressing speeds and part thickness lead to significantly lower effective material viscosity during the compression cycle.     

Mechanical properties of glass fiber/organic fiber mixed–mat reinforced thermoplastic composites

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of different types of fibers on the mechanical properties of hybrid composite materials. Long and short glass fibers (GF) and different types of organic fibers, viz. aramid fiber, DuPont Kevlar‐49 (KF), liquid crystalline polymer (LCP), and vinylon (VF) in hybrid composites, were used to reinforced the high density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The long fiber hybrid composites were prepared in a “fiber separating and flying machine,” while the short fiber hybrid composites were prepared in an “elastic extruder.” The total amount of fibers used in both long and short fiber hybrid composites was fixed at 20 vol%. The influence of fiber content, length, and mixing ratio on mechanical properties, such as tensile, bending, Izod and high rate impact strength, as well as viscoelastic propertics in the solid state, was studied. Fracture surfaces of the materials were also examined using a scanning electron microscopy.     

Designing with glass reinforced vinyl composites. I: The effect of time and temperature on modulus values

In designing for stiffness of polymer products, one of the most common questions asked by design engineers is: “What are the effects of time and temperature on the modulus values listed on the product data sheet?” This paper outlines our approach to provide answers for glass reinforced Fiberloc® vinyl composites. Static and dynamic mechanical techniques and time-temperature superposition principles were used to predict modulus as a function of both temperature and time under load. The predictions are being verified by long-term creep tests at several temperatures.     

Improvement in impact property of continuous glass mat reinforced polypropylene composites

The toughened polypropylene (PP) was obtained by the blending of PP with ethylene‐propylene diene monomer (EPDM). The impact property of continuous glass mat‐reinforced polypropylene was adjusted through three ways: different toughness PPs and their blends were used as matrices, the functionalized polypropylene was added into the matrix to control the interfacial adhesion; the ductile interlayer was introduced at the fiber/matrix interphase by the grafting and crosslinking of rubber chains on fiber surface. The effect of PP toughness, interfacial adhesion, and ductile interlayer on the mechanical properties of composite systems was studied. The impact toughness of GMT increased with increasing the matrix toughness, whereas the flexural strength and modulus decreased. The good interfacial adhesion resulted in the low impact toughness. However, GMT composite with high strength, modulus, and impact toughness could be obtained by the introduction of a ductile interlayer at fiber/matrix interphase. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2680–2688, 2002     

Ionomer. I. The effect of woven glass mat reinforcement on tensile properties

An investigation was conducted on ionomer polymer. The ionomer pellets were molded into a thin sheet before fabrication into composites. The reinforcing agent used was woven glass mat. Before fabrication, the woven glass mat was treated with the following: 1. silane coupling agent for 5 min and dried at room temperature; 2. silane coupling agent for 5 min and dried in the oven at 110°C for 15 min; 3. Ultraviolet radiation for 5 min; and 4. silane (oven dried + ultraviolet). The composites were fabricated at various pressure, time, and temperature. An ideal processing condition was established, i.e., pressure = 5 MPa, temperature = 180°C, and the impregnation time = 30 min. The void contents of the composites were estimated using the ignition method and the tensile properties were measured. The results revealed that good impregnation of the matrix ionomer into the reinforcing agent can be achieved at 180°C. This was confirmed by low void content as compared with other test temperatures. Further clarification was through the tensile properties, which were higher than those at lower temperatures (120 and 150°C). The effect of fiber orientation was checked, and both 0 and 90° had identical strengths and moduli irrespective of the various fiber treatments. Apart from the void contents, the degree of impregnation was also checked based on the tensile strengths in 45, 25, and 60° fiber orientations. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1395–1400, 2001     

Braided thermoplastic composites from powder-coated towpregs. Part I: Towpreg characterization

Textile preforms offer the potential for producing low cost, complex shaped, advanced composite structures. For thermoplastic composites in particular, it is advantageous to incorporate the resin in the tow prior to textile processing since it is difficult to impregnate dry fabrics with thermoplastic melts. Incorporating resin in the tows tends to alter the properties of the tows that are critical for textile processibility. In this paper, carbon fiber tows coated with nylon powder are studied. They are characterized for flexibility and friction coefficient, which are critical for textile processibility, and for lateral compressibility, which is critical for composite moldability. These studies reveal that the powder coated tows have higher stiffness, friction coefficient, and bulk factor compared to uncoated and commingled tows. The influence of these towpreg properties on their braidability has been studied and is provided in Part II of this series.     

Nanofiber‐reinforced thermoplastic composites. I. Thermoanalytical and mechanical analyses

This article is a portion of a comprehensive study on carbon nanofiber–reinforced thermoplastic composites. The thermal behavior and dynamic and tensile mechanical properties of polypropylene–carbon nanofibers composites are discussed. Carbon nanofibers are those produced by the vapor‐grown carbon method and have an average diameter of 100 nm. These hollow‐core nanofibers are an ideal precursor system to working with multiwall and single‐wall nanotubes for composite development. Composites were prepared by conventional Banbury‐type plastic‐processing methods ideal for low‐cost composite development. Nanofiber agglomerates were eliminated because of shear working conditions, resulting in isotropic compression‐molded composites. Incorporation of carbon nanofibers raised the working temperature range of the thermoplastic by 100°C. The nanofiber additions led to an increase in the rate of polymer crystallization with no change in the nucleation mechanism, as analyzed by the Avrami method. Although the tensile strength of the composite was unaltered with increasing nanofiber composition, the dynamic modulus increased by 350%. The thermal behavior of the composites was not significantly altered by the functionalization of the nanofibers since chemical alteration is associated with the defect structure of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) layer on the nanofibers. Composite strength was limited by the enhanced crystallization of the polymer brought on by nanofiber interaction as additional nucleation sites. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 125–133, 2001     

Strength of discontinuous reinforced composites: I. Fiber reinforced composites

The strength of randomly oriented short fiber composites has been modeled by a quasi-isotropic laminate. Lamination theory and a failure criterion will be used to approximate the stress-strain response of a composite as it is loaded to failure. Experimental data are presented and compared with the maximum-strain failure criterion.     

Jute fabric reinforced engineering thermoplastic sandwich composites. I. The effect of molding time

Jute fabric‐reinforced sandwich composites were fabricated using engineering thermoplastics. The jute fabrics were precoated with thermosetting resin to improve their thermal resistance before molding of the composites. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) studies revealed that the resin coated fabrics decomposed at higher temperature than the uncoated jute. The onset of degradation of the coated fibers also falls between that of jute fibers and the thermoset resins. This indicates the presence of good interfacial bonding between jute fibers and both resins. Isothermal TGA studies revealed that jute could withstand brief exposure to higher temperature at 270 and 290°C. The sandwich composites were fabricated at 270°C by compression molding for 1.5 and 3 min in each case, and then characterized by flexural, tensile and morphological studies, i.e., SEM and optical microscopy. The uncoated jute fabric yielded composites of superior mechanical properties even with 3 mins molding at 270°C which is close to the degradation temperature of uncoated jute fibers. This is an indication that it is feasible to prepare jute fiber filled engineering polymer composites provided the exposure time at high temperature during processing does not exceed 3 mins as determined by TGA isothermal studies. SEM studies revealed strong fiber/matrix interfacial bonding between jute and the thermoset resins while the inferior mechanical properties of the resin coated sandwich composites could be attributed to the poor interfacial bonding between the already cured thermoset coating and the matrix based on optical microscopy of the polished cross‐sections. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

连续碳纤维热塑性复合材料制备工艺研究

对近年来的碳纤维热塑性复合材料预浸料制备技术、成型工艺及其在电子电气中的应用现状进行了综合论述．     

Pultruded fiber reinforced thermoplastic poly(methyl methacrylate) composites. Part I. Correlation of processing parameters for optimizing the process

The effect of processing parameters on the properties (tensile, flexural strength and modulus and impact strength, etc.) of pultruded fiber reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites has been studied. The processing parameters investigated included pulling rate, die temperature, and postcure. Wetting of fibers by PMMA resin was complete, and the fiber bundles were evenly distributed in the PMMA matrix. The conversion, molecular weight and viscosity of MMA prepolymer were studied by ¹H-NMR, GPC and Brookfield viscometer. The optimum die temperature was determined from DSC diagram, molecular weight measurement and from the polymerization rate. The mechanical properties increased with the increasing postcure temperature and decreasing pulling rate and die temperature.     

Contrast on tensile and flexural properties of glass powder reinforced epoxy composites: Pilot study

Epoxy resin was filled with glass powder to optimize the tensile and flexural strength of the composite for structural applications by a research center in the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). To reduce costs, the center wishes to fill as much glass microspheres as possible subject to maintaining sufficient strength of the composites in structural applications. This project varies the percentage by weight of the glass powder in the composites. After casting the composites to the molds, they were cured at ambient conditions for 24 h. They were then postcured in a conventional oven and subjected to tensile and flexural tests. The contribution of the study was that if tensile and flexural properties were the most important factors to be considered in the applications of the composites, the maximum amount of glass powder can be added to the resin will be five (5) percent. It was also found that the fractured surfaces examined under scanning electron microscope were correlated with the tensile and flexural strength It is also hoped that the discussion and results in this work would not only contribute toward the development of glass powder reinforced epoxy composites with better material properties, but also useful for the investigations of tensile and flexural properties in other composites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Welding of thermoplastics reinforced with random glass mat

Thermoplastics reinforced with random glass mat have high strength and stiffness; the fibers dominate the mechanical behavior of these composites. The results of this investigation have shown that fibers are ineffective for reinforcing hot-tool and vibration welded butt welds. The maximum weld strengths attained with GMT are comparable to the strengths of good welds of the unfilled material. The optimum hot-tool welding parameters for the reinforced materials are different from those for the unfilled material. Unfilled polypropylene is easier to weld than unfilled polyamide. This characteristic is also true of the reinforced materials. In vibration welding, high welding pressures and high amplitudes result in lower mechanical properties. The optimum penetration depends on the fiber content of the bulk material. This penetration dependence is different from that for unfilled thermoplastic, for which the mechanical properties are independent of the penetration once a steady state has been attained.     

Pultruded fiber reinforced thermoplastic poly(methyl methacrylate) composites. Part II: Mechanical and thermal properties

A novel process has been developed to manufacture poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) pultruded parts. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties, environmental effects, postformability of pultruded composites and properties of various fiber (glass, carbon and Kevlar 49 aramid fiber) reinforced PMMA composites have been studied. Results show that the mechanical and thermal properties (i.e. tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus, impact strength and HDT) increase with fiber content. Kevlar fiber/PMMA composites possess the highest impact strength and HDT, while carbon fiber/PMMA composites show the highest tensile strength, tensile and flexural modulus, and glass fiber/PMMA composites show the highest flexural strength. Experimental tensile strengths of all composites except carbon fiber/PMMA composites follow the rule of mixtures. The deviation of carbon fiber/PMMA composite is due to the fiber breakage during processing. Pultruded glass fiber reinforced PMMA composites exhibit good weather resistance. They can be postformed by thermoforming, and mechanical properties can be improved by postforming. The dynamic shear storage modulus (G′) of pultruded glass fiber reinforced PMMA composites increased with decreasing pulling rate, and G′ was higher than that of pultruded Nylon 6 and polyester composites.     

Mechanical properties of short fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites —I. Elastic properties and predictions

Twin roll-mill and compression molding machines were used to process the unidirectional ply of short fiber reinforced thermoplastics (FRTP). FRTP laminates were prepared by compression molding of angle plies with the desired stacking sequences.The fiber length and orientation distributions in FRTP took place after processing. Therefore, a statistical distribution function such as WeiBull distribution function was applied to represent the existing fiber length distribution. The orientation distribution in FRTP was characterized by a single parameter exponential function. Elastic moduli of the unidirectional ply were predicted by the Halpin-Tsai equation where the fiber length distribution was introduced to the estimation. The overall elastic moduli of laminates were estimated based on the simulated laminate-plate method. A comparison of measured elastic moduli with theoretical predicted results from unidirectional ply and laminate was discussed in this study.     

Tensile creep of a long‐fiber glass mat thermoplastic composite. I. Short‐term tests

This work is part of a larger experimental program aimed at developing a semi‐empirical constitutive model for predicting creep in random glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) composites. The tensile creep response of a long‐fiber GMT material has been characterized for 3‐ and 6‐mm thick material. Tensile tests showed that the variability within and between plaques are comparable with an overall variability of about 6% and 8% for the 3‐ and 6‐mm thick materials, respectively. The thicker material exhibited slightly higher variability and directional dependence due to greater flow during molding of the plaques. Short‐term creep tests consisting of 30 min creep and recovery, respectively, were performed over the stress range between 5 and 60 MPa. Three tests for determining the linear viscoelastic region were considered which showed that the 3‐ and 6‐mm thick GMT are linear viscoelastic up to 20 and 25 MPa respectively. The 6‐mm thick GMT consisting of a higher fiber weight fraction was linear over wider stress range. Furthermore, it was found that plastic strains were accumulated during creep, which suggests that a nonlinear viscoelastic–viscoplastic model would be more appropriate for long‐term creep at relatively high stresses, which will be presented in our companion paper. The magnitude of the plastic strains developed in the creep tests presented here was lower because a single specimen was loaded at multiple stress level over short durations. Hence, a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model has been developed for the two thickness materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers