FROM MICROPROPERTIES TO MACROPROPERTIES OF POLYMER-BASED COMPOSITE SYSTEMS BY INTEGRATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERPHASE REGIONS

After an overview and discussion about the amount of information on th e interphase region given by classical 'single number' characterisatio n methods such as ILST, pull-out and fragmentation tests. different mo dels of the interphase region considered as classical continuum are an alysed. A model is proposed, based on an interphase region with varyin g properties. By integration of those varying properties over the thic kness of the interphase region, from the bulk properties of one phase to those of the other phase, assuming the transverse dimensions as ver y small, the control parameters, or integrated moduli, of the interpha se region are obtained. This model indicates the importance of the gra dients of the properties of the interphase region on the stress transf ers between the original phases. The application of this model under s pecific stress states used for the classical mechanical 'single number ' tests can give insight in the physical meaning of the results of tho se tests and can give a rational way to compare the scales for the res ults of those tests.