Influência de polipropileno maleado no comportamento de fratura (EWF) de compósitos de polipropileno/fibra de vidro

Abstract

Thermoplastic composites reinforced with short glass fibers, to be used in technical engineering applications, usually requires a good balance of properties, such as strength and tenacity. For the case of the composite of polypropylene reinforced with glass fibers, which presents a superior cost/mechanical performance when compared to other composites with matrices like polyamide and polyesters, high mechanical performance can only be achieved by an increase in fiber-polymer interfacial interaction, which is low due to the non-polar character of the PP matrix. This problem was solved by the adequate use of aminosilane coupling agent combined with an interfacial compatibilizer and its ideal content, which defines the balance between properties like strength and tenacity, still is a matter that needs further investigation. Therefore, the main goal of the present work was to evaluate the influence of maleated PP (PP-g-MAH) compatibilizer on short therm mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact strength) and on mechanical fracture mechanism, through the analysis of essential work of fracture (EWF), in composites of PP reinforced with equivalent fiber contents (30% in weight in the composite) of two types of glass fibers with different sizings, one compatible with matrices consisting of PP (GF968) and the other compatible with polar matrices such as polyamides (GF983). The tensile, flexural and impact strength analysis along with SEM microscopy, showed that the failure in these composites is due to achieving the maximum shear strength of the interface between the matrix and the PP-co-siloxane copolymer interphase. The results of EWF showed that the main contribution to the process of deforming energy dissipation it s attributed to the specific essential work of fracture (we), during the creation of new surfaces, associated to the mechanism of decoupling, pullout and fiber-polymer interface/interphase deformation.