Polypropylene/short glass fiber/nanosilica hybrid composites: evaluation of morphology, mechanical, thermal, and transport properties

Abstract

In this work, the effect of incorporation of glass fiber and nanosilica separately and in combination in a thermoplastic matrix is investigated. Individual micro, nano, and hybrid multiphase composites based on polypropylene were prepared via twin screw extrusion followed by injection molding. The glass fiber content was maintained at 10 wt% and nanosilica level was fixed at 4 wt%. The microstructure of the hybrid composite indicated the presence of nanosilica surrounding the glass fibers. Higher tensile strength and modulus was reported for hybrid composite, followed by micro and nanocomposite. The differential scanning calorimetry studies suggested that the presence of glass fibers could hasten the crystallization of PP in comparison with nanosilica. The thermal degradation studies for hybrid composite exhibited a prominent thermal stability. The delayed diffusion of solvent in hybrid composite was observed due to the confinement regions generated by the combination of micro and nanofillers.