| Author(s) |
Yao Qiao, Yelin Ni, Raveen John, Ethan K Nickerson, Gabrielle M Schuler, Nate L Brown, Seunghyun Ko, Khaled W Shahwan, Kevin L Simmons |
| Abstract Scope |
The concept of thermoplastic polymer-fiber-reinforced polymers (PFRPs) was first put forward by Capiati and Porter (Journal of Materials Science 1975; 10:1671-77), who demonstrated self-reinforced composites where the fiber and matrix were the same type of thermoplastic polymers. In fact, dissimilar material systems of thermoplastic polymer fiber and matrix can also be used to fabricate PFRPs. Thus, a composite with thermoplastic polymer fiber and thermoplastic polymer matrix was generalized as PFRPs, as recently reviewed by Qiao et al. (Polym Compos 2023; 44(2):694). Such composites have high recyclability since their constituents can be simply melted and then reshaped into their original forms.
Over the last few decades, researchers have studied thermoplastic polymer fibers such as polypropylene (PP), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polylactic acid (PLA), liquid-crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), etc., as reinforcements in thermoplastic polymer matrices. Among various fabrication methods (e.g., film stacking, hot compaction, filament winding, powder/solution impregnation, injection molding, etc.), film stacking is a ubiquitous way to fabricate different types of PFRPs due to its ease of production. However, achieving a high fiber volume fraction of the composite using this method significantly depends on the thickness of the matrix film. In some cases, such a film may not flow well during the melting process and may struggle to impregnate well with the reinforcing polymer fibers, depending on the materials used.
To this end, this work conducted experimental studies on fabricating UHMWPE-based PFRPs via the powder impregnation method, which has received significantly less attention in the literature. Based on our development of this method, achieving a composite with a higher fiber volume fraction and well-impregnated fibers in the matrix is possible. The results, concerning fabrication, mechanical, and morphological behaviors, were further compared with those of PFRPs fabricated via the film stacking method. This study holds significant value for selecting fabrication methods to produce optimized mechanical properties of PFRPs and for advancing the development of PFRPs as potential candidates for sustainable composites in the future. |