Effect of various organic fibers on the stiffness, strength and impact resistance of polypropylene; a comparison

Abstract

Abstract Composites were prepared from a polypropylene homopolymer and four types of organic fibers, wood, flax, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Mechanical properties were studied by tensile and impact testing, and structure by scanning electron microscopy. Local deformation processes were followed by acoustic emission testing. Composite strength changes in a wide range and depends on coupling. The deformability of the composites also varies considerably, more plastic deformation occurring in composites prepared with the PET and PVA fibers. Compared to traditional stiff fibers, fracture resistance can be improved significantly with PET and PVA fibers; impact strength as large as 30 kJ m –2 can be achieved with PVA. © 2020 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Industrial Chemistry.