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Dynamic mechanical response of a thermoplastic sheet molding compound‐glass fiber composite
Author(s) -
Otaigbe J. U.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760310208
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , torsion pendulum clock , composite number , glass transition , dynamic mechanical analysis , volume fraction , glass fiber , sheet moulding compound , nylon 6 , polyamide , thermoplastic polyurethane , fiber , nylon 66 , polymer , elastomer , physics , quantum mechanics
The dynamic mechanical properties of nylon 6/continuous glass fiber composites at four levels of fiber volume content were studied between ‐180 and 130°C using a free resonance torsion pendulum. The composites were produced by anionically polymerizing caprolactam monomer within a swirl type glass fiber mat using a vacuum injection technique. In addition to the expected strong dependence of shear storage modulus on fiber volume content, the glass transition temperature of the nylon 6 was observed to increase slightly and the mechanical damping decrease with fiber volume fraction. Introduction of about 7 weight percent water (i.e., equilibrium hygroscopic state) into the composite led to a considerable broadening of the transition peaks and a much lower plasticizing action of water in the composite relative to the pure nylon 6 matrix.