Cellulose man-made fibre reinforced polypropylene - correlations between fibre and composite properties
Abstract
A series of viscose fibres from the tyre cord type varying in mechanical parameters and titre were compounded with polypropylene to produce fibre reinforced composites. Single fibre strength is analysed in detail and conclusions are drawn with respect to effective strength values in composite applications. Composites were analysed in terms of tensile and impact properties. Correlations between single fibre and composite properties are studied. High fibre elongation leads to favourable composite impact properties via high composite elongations at break. Using water as a plastisizing agent increasing fibre elongation, notched Charpy impact strength can be improved by more than 50%. Using a modified rule of mixtures and a shear lag model for the composite modulus it was shown how a titre reduction improves the composite stiffness by an increased interfacial area. A direct fibre-composite strength correlation was not found.
