Fracture Parameters of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polycarbonate Composite Fabricated by Injection Molding Process

Abstract

This paper investigated the fracture behavior of the unavoidable breakage of carbon fibers and fiber orientation of short carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate composite in injection process. In this experiment, short carbon fiber mixed compound of 1mm, 3mm, 5mm, 7mm length with 10wt.%, 15wt.%, 20wt.% in polycarbonate for injection molding were produced through the extruder. The dumbbell specimens for tensile evaluation were made by injection molding. The parent specimens were made by double gate method, the weld specimens were made by single gate method which was controlled by inserting a stopper through the runner of the mold cavity. Short carbon fiber reinforced PC composite was evaluated by micro-CT with regard to the particle size of short fiber with a diversified quantitative analysis through entire process of the injection process in composite. The quantitative distribution of fiber orientation was also examined by micro-CT with regard to normal direction or anisotropy. Weld line of short carbon fibers reinforced PC composite weaken the bonding strength by 50% compared to parent materials because the weld line is composed with concentrated anisotropy orientation of short carbon fiber in weld line. Evaluation of the mechanical properties of the injection specimens group was utilized by universal tensile strength tester. In addition, fracture surface of parent and weld materials was investigated by a SEM.