Effect of nano-OMMTs on mode I and mode II fracture toughness of continuous glass fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. (15th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Hongda; Wang, Jihui; Ni, Aiqing; Ding, Anxin; Li, Shuxin; Han, Xia
• Is Part Of: Composite structures. Volume 208(2019)
• Page Start: 498
• Page End: 506
• Publication Date: 2019-01-15
• Subjects: Thermoplastic composites -- Nano-OMMTs -- Polypropylene -- Mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness; Composite construction -- Periodicals; Composites -- Périodiques; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2018.10.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-8223

Abstract

Abstract: The influence of nano-organic montmorillonites (nano-OMMTs) on mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of continuous glass fibre reinforced ammonium polyphosphate polypropylene (CGF/PP/APP) composites was experimentally studied in this paper. Nano-OMMTs modified CGF/PP/APP unidirectional prepreg composites were fabricated by hot-melt impregnation process. To investigate the effect of nano-OMMTs on the interlaminar fracture toughness of composites, double cantilever beam (DCB) test and end-notched flexure (ENF) test were conducted to obtain the mode I initiation interlaminar fracture toughness (GIC init. ), mode I propagation interlaminar fracture toughness (GIC prop. ), and mode II initiation interlaminar fracture toughness (GII C init. ) of samples, respectively. Through comparison against to the neat CGF/PP/APP composites, with the addition of 6.5 wt% nano-OMMTs into PP matrix, the GIC init., GIC prop., and GII C init. of composites can be enhanced from 0.502 kJ/m 2, 0.746 kJ/m 2 and 0.623 kJ/m 2 to 0.712 kJ/m 2, 1.119 kJ/m 2, and 1.195 kJ/m 2, respectively. Finally, it was found that nano-OMMTs in matrix can act as "pins", which could absorb energy in the forms of nano-particles pullout and enhance the interlaminar fracture toughness values in DCB and ENF tests.