Polymer Engineering Faculty Research
Strength improvement of short graphite fiber-reinforced polypropylene
Abstract
The Improvement of the tensile strength of discontinuous graphite fiber-reinforced polypropylene is described. Two methods were employed: (1) modification of the polymer backbone by the introduction of acrylic acid grafts and (2) varying the chemistry of the fiber sizing. The strength improvements attained are attributed to intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, which improve the adhesion between the fiber and the polymer.
This paper has been withdrawn.