Static and dynamic mechanical properties of carbon fibre reinforced polypropylene composites

This study presents the static and viscoelastic (storage modulus and damping) properties of thermoplastics composites as influenced by one of the processing parameters (mould temperature). The matrix used here is Polypropylene (PP) and the reinforcement is Carbon Fibre (CF) woven fabric. The degree of impregnation and the fibre matrix bonding are determined by the processing parameters such as moulding temperature and pressure. The moulding temperature is varied to analyse the resultant impact on the mechanical properties. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) studies are carried out for determining the storage modulus and damping properties for different frequencies over a wide range of temperatures. The results provide vital information on the effect of moulding temperature in processing of CF/PP composites.