Abstract
Hybrid materials featuring thermoplastic polymer composites in conjunction with steel cords are being considered as structural materials in infrastructure, transportation and military applications. The present study focuses on understanding the mechanical performance of metal cord-thermoplastic composites. Since the optimal performance of a composite strongly depends on the behavior of the interface, finite element modeling has been adopted to characterize the interface between steel fibers and thermoplastic composite material. The mechanical interactions between thermoplastics and steel have been studied with a goal to improve interfacial shear strength and cohesive strength. Steel cord was combined with nylon, polypropylene, soft thermoplastic polyurethane and hard thermoplastic polyurethane to find the parameters that affect mechanical bonding via pull out tests and friction coefficient tests. The test parameters have been correlated to interfacial shear strength using both experimental and modeling approach.