Processamento de compósitos de poli (tereftalato de etileno) reciclado reforçado com fibras de vidro

Abstract

In this work, flake and post-condensed PET composites of different glass fiber contents (0, 20, 30 and 40%) were prepared. Tow kinds of fibers were employed: one fiber having an amino silane-based surface treatment and another one having an epoxi silane-based surface treatment. The composites were extruded in a single-screw extruder with a barrier double-flight screw, and in a co-rotating interpenetrating twin-screw extruder. After extrusion the composites were injected at 120°C, this temperature being chosen after several tests indicating that it could promote the highest possible degree of crystallinity of the final product (higher than 30%). The composites were characterized as for mechanical, thermal and morphological features. Data indicate that by using a single-screw extruder proper to the processing of PET and fiber glass the properties of the obtained composites are fairly good, being comparable to those obtained from a twin-screw extruder. As for the types of PET utilized, it could be found that the molar mass of the polymeric matrix, larger for the post-condensed PET had some influence on the performance of the tested properties. On the other hand it could be observed that the surface treatment of the fibers does not influence the obtained data. Based on the optical analysis of the fiber length and the elastic modulus data it is possible to determine that the fibers of the injected composites are oriented longitudinally to the strain direction. With the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), improvements in the distribution and dispersion of the fibers were always observed, with smaller voids as the fiber content increases, backing higher mechanical data as the incorporated fiber content is increased. Crystallinity resulting from injection-molded test specimens processed at 120°C, together with the presence of the glass fiber leads to a synergism in the heat distortion temperature (HDT). X-rays analyses indicate that at higher fiber content the composites show lower definition of the crystalline peaks, this being associated to the amorphous feature of the fiber.