Abstract
The effect of reprocessing by injection moulding on the mechanical properties of styrene maleic anhydride composites reinforced with 10, 20, and 30 wt-% short glass fibres has been studied. The study revealed that matrix properties related to the breaking point were significantly reduced by reprocessing. The observed reduction in the property values of the matrix material was attributed to the reduction in ductility caused by the molecular weight degradation. For the composites, almost all measured properties were reduced as a consequence of reprocessing. The strength and modulus of the composite were found to be linear functions of both the average length and the concentration of the fibres in the composite. The reduction in composite property values was attributed mainly to the degradation of fibres during each reprocessing cycle. Using a modified rule of mixtures, values of the overall efficiency parameter for strength and modulus were estimated and found to decrease as the number of reprocessing cycles was increased. This reduction in the overall efficiency parameters was mainly due to fibre breakage, occurring at each reprocessing cycle.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.