Development of High Performance Polymer Composites

1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 07045026
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: University-to-University Cooperative Research
• Research Field: Composite materials/Physical properties
• Research Institution: Kyoto Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: MATSUO Tatsuki Kyoto Institute of Technology, Faculty of Textile Science, Professor, 繊維学部, 教授 (40243125)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): CAKMAC Mukerrem University of Akron, Professor, 高分子工学研究所, 教授 ; ISAYEV Avraam.I. University of Akron, Professor, 高分子工学研究所, 教授 ; WHITE James.L. University of Akron, Professor, 高分子工学研究所, 教授 ; YAMANE Hideki Kyoto Institute of Technology, Faculty of Textile Science, semi-Professor, 繊維学部, 助教授 (30191365) ; HAMADA Hiroyuki Kyoto Institute of Technology, Faculty of Textile Science, Professor, 繊維学部, 教授 (10189615)
• Project Period (FY): 1995 – 1997
• Keywords: Compounding process / Twin screw extruder / Polymer / Reinforcement interphase / Compounding condition / Reverse twin extruder / Mode II tensile specimen / CT specimen / Buss kneader extruder

Research Abstract

In these days, the research of polymer based composite materials has been noticed due to their many applications. Hence, the relation between their practical properties in the engineering and fabrication processing is totally crucial issue. It can be noted that the most important fabrication processes are the compounding between polymer and reinforcement and the surface wettability of the reinforcement during the compounding. In this study, the following terms were focused.
1.The study for the design of the compounding machinery and the compounding process.
2.The study of the evaluation for the mechanical properties off polymer based composite materials.
3.The foundation of the evaluation method among practical properties in polymer based composite materials, the compounding conditions and interphase properties between polymer and reinforcement.
Firstly, three types of compounding method, namely, twin screw extruder, buss kneader extruder and reverse twin extruder were employed to investig ate the effect of the compounding conditions. As the result, the influence of these compounding methods were greatly recognized in the mechanical properties of the final moldings. For instance, mode I fracture toughness value of the specimens which were compounded by buss kneader extruder, indicated the highest value, therefore it was cleared that the buss kneader compounding allowed possessing the good interphase property. The new interphase evaluation method with using mode II tensile tests was developed. Originally, fiber-pull-out mrthods are typical evaluation method in thermoplastics composite materials, however interphase properties in injection moldings are greatly affected by the various factors during the fabrication process. That is trouble to evaluate the interphase properties of the practical moldings with using such a single-fiber evaluation method. Therefore mode II type method is effective for evaluating the interphase property of the injection moldings in the engineering applications.