Effects of matrix properties on microscale damage in thermoplastic laminates under quasi-static and impact loading

Abstract

Thermoplastics reinforced with continuous fibers are very promising building materials for the auto industry and consumer electronics to reduce the weight of vehicles and portable devices, and to deliver a high impact tolerance at the same time. Polypropylene is an abundant thermoplastic, and its glass fibers composites make a valuable solution that is suitable for mass production. But the adoption of such composites requires a deep understanding of their mechanical behavior under the relevant loading conditions. In this Ph.D. work, we aim to understand the damage process in continuous glass fiberreinforced polypropylene in detail. We will focus in particular on developing an approach for microscale observation of damage during the out-of-plane loading process and will use these observations for both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the composite. We will apply our approach to two kinds of polypropylene composites, one of them is specially designed to withstand impact. The comparison between the two types of composites at slow and fast loading cases will shed some light on the effect of the polymer properties on the behavior of composites under out-of-plane loading.