The Effect of Adhesion Interaction on the Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Basalt Plastics

The effect of temperature, adhesion time, and surface treatment of a reinforcing filler on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic basalt plastics based on a high-density polyethylene and a copolymer of 1,3,5-trioxane with 1,3-dioxolan is investigated. An extreme dependence for the adhesive strength in a thermoplastic-basalt fiber system is established and its effect on the mechanical properties of basalt plastics and the influence of the adhesion contact time on the adhesive strength in the system are clarified. The surface modification of basalt fibers in acidic and alkaline media intensifies the adhesion of thermoplastics to them owing to a more developed surface of the reinforcing fibers after etching. It is found that the treatment in the acidic medium is more efficient and considerably improves the mechanical properties of basalt plastics.     

Effect of combined extrusion parameters on mechanical properties of basalt fiber-reinforced plastics based on polypropylene

Basalt fibers are efficient reinforcing fillers for polypropylene because they increase both the mechanical and the tribotechnical properties of composites. Basalt fibers can compete with traditional fillers (glass and asbestos fibers) of polypropylene with respect to technological, economic, and toxic properties. The effect of technological parameters of producing polypropylene-based basalt fiber-reinforced plastics (BFRPs) by combined extrusion on their mechanical properties has been investigated. The extrusion temperature was found to be the main parameter determining the mechanical properties of the BFRPs. With temperature growth from 180 to 240°C, the residual length of the basalt fibers in the composite, as well as the adhesive strength of the polymer-fiber system, increased, while the composite defectiveness decreased. The tensile strength and elastic modulus increased from 35 to 42 MPa and 3.2 to 4.2 GPa, respectively. At the same time, the growth in composite solidity led to its higher brittleness. Thus, a higher temperature of extrusion allows us to produce materials which can be subjected to tensile and bending loads, while the materials produced at a lower temperature of extrusion are impact stable. The effect of the gap size between the extruder body and moving disks on the mechanical properties of the BFRPs is less significant than that of temperature. An increase of the gap size from 2 to 8 mm improves the impregnation quality of the fibers, but the extruder productivity diminishes. The possibility of controling the properties of reinforced polypropylene by varying the technological parameters of combined extrusion is shown. The polypropylene-based BFRPs produced by the proposed method surpass the properties of glass and asbestos fiber-reinforced plastics.Submitted to the 10th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, April 20–23, 1998).Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 845–850, November–December, 1997.     

Influence of technological processing parameters on the properties of carbon filled thermoplastics

The effect of processing parameters of injection molding on the mechanical and tribotechnical properties of carbon plastics based on polyacetals is investigated. The copolymer of 1,3,5-trioxane with 1,3-dioxolane is used as the polymer matrix. Hydrated cellulose Ural LO-24 carbon fibers are used as the reinforcing filler. The effect of molding temperature, pressing time, and temperature of the casting mould on the properties of carbon plastics is investigated. It has been found that for improving the mechanical properties of carbon plastics it is necessary to raise the molding temperature up to 200–210°C. Prolongation of the technological cycle leads to thermal degradation of the polymer in the cylinder of a casting machine. The mould temperature only slightly affects the composite strength properties, but lower temperatures create better conditions for polymer crystallization. As a result of our investigations, the optimal processing parameters of the above carbon plastics are determined.Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 385–392, 1999.     

Antifriction basalt-plastics based on polypropylene

A study is made of the dependence of the mechanical and friction-engineering properties of polypropylene reinforced with basalt fibers on the viscosity of the polymer matrix. It is established that the main factors that determine the mechanical properties of the plastics are the quality of impregnation of the fibers by the binder and the residual length of the reinforcing filler in the composite after extrusion and injection molding. The material that was developed has a low friction coefficient and low rate of wear within a relatively brood range of friction conditions. The basalt-plastics can be used in the rubbing parts of machines and mechanisms subjected to dry friction.Ukrainian State Chemicotechnical University, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov,33, No. 3, pp. 417–421, May–June, 1997.     

Study of the effect of the dressing of carbon fibers on the properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics based on polyacetals

Studies are made of the mechanical and friction engineering properties of a copolymer of trioxane-1,3,5 with dioxolan-1,3 reinforced with dressed carbon fibers based on hydrated cellulose. Polyalkyloxysilanes are used as the finishes. The optimum concentrations of the finishes on the fibrous filler are determined. Relations are obtained to describe the dependence of the mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics on the type of finish and its effect on the condition of the phase boundary between filler and the polymer matrix. The effect of adhesion of the polymer to the fibrous filler on the properties of a randomly reinforced thermoplastic composite is also determined. The dependences of the friction engineering properties of polyacetal-based carbon-plastics on the loading parameters of the friction-loading unit are examined. The material that is developed has high values of strength, elastic modulus, and notch toughness and low values of the friction coefficient and shrinkage. The material can be used as structural and anti-friction elements in rocketry, aviation, and the automobile industry.Ukrainian State Chemical Engineering University, Dnepropetrovsk. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 90–97, January–February, 1997.     

Regulation of the mechanical properties of thermoplastic carbon fiber-reinforced plastics by changing their production conditions and surface treatment of the fibers

The effect of technological parameters of processing and surface treatment of carbon fibers on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) was investigated. The copolymer of 1,3,5-trioxane with 1,3-dioxolane was used as the polymer matrix, and medium-modulus hydrated cellulose Ural LO-24 carbon fibers served as the reinforcing filler. The polymer matrix was mixed with the carbon fibers by the method of combined extrusion. The dependence of the mechanical properties of CFRPs on the technological parameters of screw-disk extrusion was studied. It was found that the properties of the composites were greatly affected by the size of the working disk gap, the disk rotation rate, and the temperature in the zone of normal stresses. The surface of the carbon fibers was activated with atmospheric oxygen in the temperature range of 450–600°C, with mass loss of the fibers no greater than 3–4%. A 30–40% increase in the mechanical properties of the CFRPs was achieved. A decrease in the melt index of the 1,3,5-trioxane copolymer with 1,3-dioxolane reinforced with oxidized carbon fibers was observed, which should be taken into account in processing the composites into products. Introduction of carbon fibers in the 1,3,5-trioxane copolymer with 1,3-dioxolane allows us to increase the wear resistance and decrease the friction coefficient, which makes it possibile to use these materials in the friction units of machines and mechanisms, such as plain bearings, gears, and flange packings.Presented at the 10th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, April 20–23, 1998).Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 673–682, September–October, 1998.     

Polypropylene reinforced with aramid and glass fibers

The effect of the chemical nature of the aramid fibers Phenylone, Terlon, Armos, and SVM on the mechanical, thermophysical, and antifriction properties of reinforced polypropylene was investigated. It was found that the composite filled with SVM fibers based on a stiff-chain polymer has high tensile strength and bending modulus. Reinforcement of polypropylene with Phenylone stiff-chain fibers produces a composite with a high impact viscosity. Organoplastics based on polypropylene and aramid fibers have a low density and friction coefficient and high durability. Reinforcement of polypropylene with aramid (SVM) and glass fibers increases the technological properties of the composites. The glass-filled organoplastics developed can be used in instrument making, radio engineering, and machine building as antifriction and construction materials.Ukrainian State Chemical Technological University, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 106–110, January–February, 1996.