Effect of fiber glass sizing and maleic anhydride on the physical properties of continous long fiber reinforced polypropylene

Long glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics can provide many advantages over traditional reinforced thermoplastics. The long fibers will increase many physical properties including tensile strength, flexural strength, and Izod impact. The main contributing factor is the sizing. The fiber glass sizing is essential in providing an adhesion between the glass and polymer matrix, hence increasing many of the physical properties.; In this study, two different sizings were examined and found to have the same influence on the overall performance of the final composite. Tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact properties all increased with the addition of 40% glass fiber, but the sizings themselves had little effect. When maleic anhydride was added to the composite as a coupling agent, the physical properties increased dramatically. This is the result of the maleic anhydride chemically bonding to the glass fiber, and creating a much stronger bond between the glass and polypropylene.