Internal structure analysis of Polypropylene/quartz composites related to their toughness

Abstract

The mechanical performance of composite materials has been related to a wide range of factors. The complexity of analysis lays on the fact that any single variationnormally affects many characteristics or properties of the composite material. For this reason, different theoretical and experimental characterizations should be considered. In this work the internal structure, interactions and fracture surfaces of PP-based compositesreinforced with quartz particles are investigated. Particle size distributions, rheological measurements and multifractal spectra suggest favorable filler dispersion into the PP matrix. A yield strength model and rheological data evidence low internal interactions. In addition,these composites characteristics could promote the effective activation of energy consumption mechanisms improving the material toughness. The fracture surfacesanalysis allows correlating fractography, multifractal spectra and material toughness. However, the experimental procedure of multifractal theory should be improved to define the most sensitive parameter for fractographic studies.