Self-reinforced composites based on commercial PP woven fabrics and a random PP copolymer modified with quartz

Abstract

Self-reinforced composites based on commercial polypropylene (PP) woven fabrics and a random PP copolymermodified with quartz were obtained by film stacking. The effect of the incorporation of quartz on the materials fractureand failure behavior was studied through uniaxial tensile tests and quasi-static fracture experiments. Acousticemission analysis was also performed in situ in the tensile tests. A higher consolidation quality was obtained for thecomposites containing quartz. In the composite with random PP modified with 5 wt% quartz, the higher consolidationand the better dispersion of quartz particles positively impacted on the materials tensile and fracture behavior.From the results of acoustic emission analysis, fiber fracture appears as the dominant failure mechanism in theinvestigated composites.