Interfacial interaction in stainless steel fiber-filled polypropylene composites

Surface treatment proves to be an effective way to enhance the mechanical p roperties of stainless steel fiber (SSF)-filled polymer composites, a candi date for shielding electromagnetic interference applications. To reveal the details of interfacial interaction in polypropylene (PP)-based composites, micro- and macromechanical performance of the materials as well as surface chemical features of the fibers extracted from composites were characteriz ed. The results suggest that a chemical bond was formed between the SSF sur face and modified PP (i.e., PP grafted maleic anhydride copolymer, PP-g-MAH )in addition to van der Waals forces, which accounts for the improved inter facial adhesion in the SSF/PP-g-MAH/PP system. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.