Enhancement of Dimensional Stability of Rigid PVC Foams Using E-Glass Fibers
Enhancement of Dimensional Stability of Rigid PVC Foams Using E-Glass Fibers作者机构:Materials Science and Engineering Department University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee USA
出 版 物:《Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering》 (矿物质和材料特性和工程(英文))
年 卷 期:2015年第3卷第2期
页 面:65-75页
学科分类:1002[医学-临床医学] 100214[医学-肿瘤学] 10[医学]
主 题:Polyvinyl Chloride PVC Foam PVC Composites Polymer Composites Glass Fiber Composites Re-inforced Polymers
摘 要:Short cut E-glass fibers of two different lengths were used to determine the effect of glass fiber length on the dimensional stability of rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam in this study. Glass fibers measuring, 1/16 and 1/32 at different concentrations (0 wt% - 20 wt%) were used to reinforce rigid PVC foams;the PVC foam-glass fiber (PVC-GF) composites were extruded using a single screw profile extruder. The extruded PVC-GF composites were characterized for their dimensional stability, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Experimental results show that the dimensional stability, heat resistance, and storage modulus were enhanced without compromising the tensile and flexural strengths of the composites. Thermal shrinkage decreased by almost 55% in composites reinforced with 1/32 GF and by 60% in composites reinforced with 1/16 GFs, with visible improvements to the shape distortion. Overall, foam composites which were prepared with longer (1/16) glass fibers exhibited better mechanical and thermal properties than those prepared with shorter (1/32) glass fibers. Microstructural observations suggest that this is due to better interlocking between the long fibers and the foam cells, which result in better load distribution in the matrix.