Paper number 230

RATE DEPENDENCY DURING PROCESSING OF GLASS/THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES

C.E. Wilks¹, C.D. Rudd¹, A.C. Long¹, C.F. Johnson²

1School of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering & Management, Division of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nottingham
University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
2Ford Motor Company, Scientific Research Laboratories, Dearborn, MI., 48121, USA

Summary

A thermoplastic composite consisting of a polypropylene matrix and aligned glass reinforcing fibres was investigated for the effect of increased forming rates on the deformation mechanism, intraply shearing and the effect of consolidation rate on the void content. It was found that shear thinning of the matrix permitted increased shear rates with minimum force penalties but the void content at the end of consolidation increased with consolidation rate.

Keywords

thermoplastic composite, commingled glass/polypropylene, thermoforming.