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Micrograph 627 and full record
- Micrograph no
- 627
- Brief description
- Glass fibre reinforced thermoplastic matrix composite
- Keywords
- composite material
, fracture , glass fibres , impact, matrix , melting, polymer , polypropylene (PP), reinforcement , thermoplastic - Categories
- Composite, Fracture
- System
- Glass fibre composite
- Composition
- Polypropylene matrix with glass fibre
- Standard codes
- Reaction
- Processing
- An approximately symmetrical laminate was made from five plies of woven rovings and consolidated at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes
- Applications
- Thermoplastic matrix composites have superior impact absorption properties because of the plastic behaviour of the matrix
- Sample preparation
- The specimen has been shot with a ball bearing, at a velocity of approx 300ms-1, impact kinetic energy=31J
- Technique
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
- Length bar
- 200 μm
- Further information
- This is an image of part of the crater on the impact side of the laminate. There is evidence of the fibres bowing around the impact site. As they reach their elastic limit, fracture of the glass fibres themselves has occurred, with flat, perpendicular surfaces, indicating brittle failure. It is also clear, however, that the matrix has not only behaved plastically, but has even undergone local melting, resulting in strings and globules, although more angular surfaces indicate brittle fracture of the matrix towards the left of the image, further from the impact centre.
- Contributor
- H J Scott
- Organisation
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge
- Date
- 03/10/02
- Licence for re-use
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