Effect of the interfacial adhesion on the tensile and impact properties of carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene matrices

• Published in: Materials research (São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 81 - 89
• Main Authors: Nogueira, Clara Leal, Paiva, Jane Maria Faulstich de, Rezende, Mirabel Cerqueira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: ABM, ABC, ABPol 01.03.2005; Associação Brasileira de Metalurgia e Materiais (ABM); Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica (ABC); Associação Brasileira de Polímeros (ABPol)
• Subjects: carbon fiber; composites; ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL; MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; mechanical properties; METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING; polypropylene; composites; carbon fiber; polypropylene; mechanical properties
• ISSN: 1516-1439; 1980-5373; 1516-1439
• DOI: 10.1590/S1516-14392005000100015

Thermoplastic composites have been applied in a wide variety of industrial products, showing recently a great potential to be used in aeronautical field. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the fiber/matrix interface of carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene-based matrices after tensile and impact tests and also to compare the mechanical test results of the manufactured laminates. The laminates were prepared by stacking carbon fiber fabric style Plain Weave (CF) and films of four different polypropylene matrices, described as (a) polypropylene-PP, (b) polypropylene-polyethylene copolymer-PP-PE, (c) PP-PE with an interfacial compatibilizer-AM1 and (d) PP-PE containing an elastomeric modifier-AM2. The composites were processed using hot compression molding. The mechanical testing results showed that the CF-AM1 laminate family presented the lowest impact strength and the highest tensile strength values when compared to the other laminates. SEM analysis observations of both tensile and impact fractured specimens of the CF-PP/PE-AM1 specimens revealed a stronger fiber/matrix interface. The CF-PP/PE-AM2 laminate showed a lower tensile strength and higher impact strength values when compared to the CF-PP/PE-AM1 one. PP-PE and PP laminates presented the lowest impact strength values.