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Mechanical property enhancement in short‐fiber composites through the control of fiber orientation during fabrication
Author(s) -
Goettler Lloyd A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.750050111
Subject(s) - materials science , fabrication , composite material , composite number , fiber , stiffness , ultimate tensile strength , orientation (vector space) , elastomer , geometry , medicine , alternative medicine , mathematics , pathology
The mechanical properties of plastics and elastomers reinforced by short fibers are generally dictated by the selection of matrix and reinforcement. However, the high tensile properties attainable in these systems through laboratory processing techniques are frequently not obtained in conventional fabrication operations. To gain a wider latitude in meeting economic and performance constraints, the control of composite structure in the fabrication step should not be overlooked. Tool geometry and processing conditions can be manipulated specifically to control the fiber orientation distribution in the product. A study of fiber orientation in composite compounds during flow through runners, gates, and dies leads to recommendations for optimizing the directional strength and stiffness according to a kinematic model. Performance data on parts fabricated from various short‐fiber composite materials bear out these projections.