Microstructural effects on the dynamic fracture toughness of cellulose-fiber-reinforced polypropylene

Natural fiber reinforced thermoplastics are a rapidly growing, commercially interesting area. Unlike their glass reinforced counterparts, microstructure and dynamic fracture behavior of natural fiber reinforced thermoplastics have hardly been investigated. We characterized the microstructure of cellulose fiber reinforced polypropylene and determined its effect on dynamic fracture toughness.; Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces and x-ray diffraction were used to investigate fiber orientation in injection molded composites. The polypropylene matrix was removed by solvent extraction, and the lengths of the residual fibers were optically determined. Fiber lengths were reduced by one-half when compounded in a high-intensity thermokinetic mixer and then injection molded. At low fiber contents, there was little fiber orientation; at high fiber contents, a layered structure arose exhibiting differing fiber orientations through the thickness of the injection molded specimen.; Scanning electron microscopy of acid etched specimens revealed spherulitic structure emanating from cellulose fibers (i.e. transcrystallinity) in injection molded composites containing less than 5% fibers. The etching procedure failed to provide any matrix surface relief in high fiber content composites.; To better understand fracture under impact loading, dynamic fracture analysis was performed based on linear elastic fracture mechanics. Dynamic critical energy release rates and dynamic critical stress intensity factors were deduced from instrumented Charpy impact test measurements. Dynamic fracture toughness increased with cellulose content and with orientation of fibers perpendicular to the crack plane.; To better control composite microstructure, model laminates of highly aligned plies were produced and tested. Dynamic fracture toughness decreased with fiber alignment angle. A simple model successfully related the microstructure to the dynamic fracture toughness.; Increasing test temperatures from –40 to +40° increased the dynamic critical energy release rate, but reduced the dynamic critical stress intensity factor and the dynamic modulus. At low temperatures and low fiber content, the matrix hardly yielded and the composite behaved as a linear elastic solid. At high fiber contents and high temperatures, load-deflection plots were slightly nonlinear, and scanning electron microscopy revealed some microductility.