Fg. Torres et Sf. Bush, Sheet extrusion and thermoforming of discrete long glass fibre reinforced polypropylene, COMPOS P A, 31(12), 2000, pp. 1289-1294
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Material Science & Engineering
Journal title
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
The present paper summarises the main aspects and the developments in sheet
extrusion and thermoforming of discrete long glass fibre (LGF) composites
using the SAFIRE (Self Assembling Fibre Reinforcement) technology. During e
xtrusion the long glass fibres are organised into coherent fibre mats which
persist into the solid state, and are able to withstand the deformation pr
ocess that takes place during thermoforming. A process analysis has been pe
rformed for extrusion and thermoforming indicating the main individual oper
ations. Both processes have been studied with regard to their performance w
ith the materials used in the studies, namely polypropylene homo- and copol
ymer, with and without LGF reinforcement. Significant improvements in mecha
nical properties relative to the unreinforced materials have been found for
the extruded sheets and the thermoformed products. Major improvements in p
rocessability relative to unreinforced PP have been found for the LGF mater
ials. These are discussed in terms of the coherent fibre mat concept. (C) 2
000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.