Processing and characterization of PP/PE and PP/PE-MWCNT composites reinforced with glass fiber

• Grant number: 15/07050-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 22, 2015
• End date: September 01, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Edson Cocchieri Botelho
• Grantee: Luiz Felipe Doria Macedo
• Supervisor: Lukasz Wiktor Figiel
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEG). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Guaratinguetá. Guaratinguetá , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Warwick, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/22529-3 - Crystallinity influence of thermal and mechanical properties on PP/PE reinforced with glass fiber composite, BP.IC

Abstract

Increasingly demanding engineering applications for thermoplastic composites motivate a better understanding of how the processing conditions and resulting morphology of these materials can be modified to enhance their end-use properties. This project is focused on the manufacturing of iPP/LLDPE and iPP/LLDPE-MWCNTs blend systems reinforced with glass fibers with a subsequent evaluation of their thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. Various PP/PE blends with three different PE to PP ratios (25%, 50% and 75%), with and without multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) will be processed in the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM) at the University of Warwick. Blend pellets will be produced by a twin screw extruder, and then they will be compression moulded with woven glass fiber mats using different cooling rates to analyse their effects on the degree of crystallinity. Extensive morphological studies will be carried out in the IINM to study the effects of blend composition and MWCNT loading on the blend morphology and distribution and dispersion of MWCNTs within blend phases using Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM). Moreover, morphology of blends with woven glass fibre mats, compression moulded at different cooling rates will be investigated using computer tomography (CT). All the samples containing MWCNTs will be subjected to electrical resistivity measurements at the IINM. Manufacturing and morphology characterization will be followed by thermomechanical characterization of produced samples at UNESP (Brazil). In particular, the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) will be used to investigate degrees of crystallinity, while the thermomechanical behavior of the laminates will be evaluated through dynamic thermal-mechanical analysis (DMTA). Further mechanical testing quantifying the quality of the interlaminar properties as a function of the cooling rate will be carried out with the help of additional mechanical tests such as the End Notched Flexure test. All this part of the work will be carried out in Brazil. (AU)