Abstract
The thermal and crystallisation behaviour of short nylon fibre reinforced PP composites was studied by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic paramteres such as storage modulus, loss modulus and loss factor or damping efficiency (tan δ) were determined in a resonant frequency mode over a wide range of temperatures using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Attempts were made to improve the interfacial adhesion using styrene maleic anhydride–grafted PP. The thermal properties of the composites were analysed by TG analysis. It was found that modified matrix composites show superior properties compared to the unmodified system. DSC measurements exhibited an increase in the crystallisation temperature and crystallinity, upon the addition of fibres to the PP matrix. This is attributed to the nucleating effects of the fibre surfaces. DMA of the composite shows higher dynamic stress than the neat matrix material with increase in storage modulus and decrease in loss factor.
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