Influência da restrição do fluxo na microestrutura e nas propriedades mecânicas de compósitos de poliamida 6.6 reforçados por fibras de vidro longas obtidos por injeção

Abstract

Currently there is a large growth in the use of thermoplastic composites reinforced with long glass fiber. These composites have the mechanical properties required for structural and automotive applications, because they have a high mechanical strength combined with a low specific weight. However the process of production significantly affects the mechanical performance of these composites. In this study, composites of polyamide 6.6 with 40 wt% and 50 wt% of long glass fibers were processed in an injection mold that has the ability to simulate a controlled restriction in the flow. The mechanical properties were evaluated to check the influence of the flow restriction. The residual length of the glass fibers in this composite was also evaluated, as well the correlation between the mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite using mathematical models. An design of experiment was used to verify the processing conditions that maximize the mechanical properties and the visual appearance of the molded composites. It was also performed a comparative study between composites reinforced by long and short glass fiber. It was found that the presence of restriction affects fiber length, as well as the degree of orientation thereof, thus affecting the final mechanical properties of the composite. It was also observed a high degree of anisotropy in mechanical properties. The mathematical models used achieved good agreement with experimental data. The comparison between composites reinforced by long and short fibers showed that the composites reinforced by long fibers had better mechanical behavior, although they are more susceptible to the orientation of glass fibers.