Effect of Fiber Contents on Fatigue Behavior of Injection Molded Polyamide 6 Matrix Composites

József Szakács,László Mészáros

doi:10.3311/ppme.10060

József Szakács, László Mészáros

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3311/ppme.10060

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Abstract

In this study the effect of basalt and carbon fiber content on quasi-static and fatigue mechanical properties of polyamide 6 are investigated. Composites with different fiber contents were melt compounded, then specimens were injection molded. The presence of basalt and carbon fiber caused significant change in tensile properties; the effect of carbon fibers was major as expected. Fatigue life of composites decreased compared to the neat matrix, but it should be mentioned that higher load was applied in case of composites. Carbon fibers had remarkable effect on the decrement of cyclic creep. This means that the deformation of carbon fiber reinforced composites was lower than that of basalt fiber composites, even if load level was higher. Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces revealed larger tough fracture surface for carbon fiber reinforced composites compared to the basalt fiber reinforced ones.

Highlights

Performance improvement is one of the most important criteria when a novel polymer composite is developed for engineering applications
The tensile test results showed that the presence of basalt and carbon fiber increased the tensile strength of composites significantly
During low-cycle fatigue tests composites with high fiber content had significantly smaller fatigue life

Summary

Introduction

Performance improvement is one of the most important criteria when a novel polymer composite is developed for engineering applications. For the optimal mechanical performance of materials composite industry uses several types of reinforcing materials [1]. The popularity of glass fibers is unbroken, but nowadays carbon fiber is gathering ground, thanks to its decreasing price and well known good mechanical properties [2,3,4]. As well as glass fibers basalt fibers appeared as reinforcement of polymer matrices and in concretes [7, 8]

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