Production of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite material and investigation of mechanical properties

PRODUCTION OF FIBRE REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES Mustafa GÜLEŞEN Mechanical Engineering, M.S. Thesis, 2005 Thesis Supervisor : Mehmet ŞENEL, Assistant Prof. SUMMARY In this study, the production of mould, designed by match die press forming, was done to produce thermoplastic composite material. The matrix material was polythene (low density) and reinforcement material was copper fibre having 0.3 mm diameter. Thermoplastic composite material having %0,4 and %0,5 fiber volume concentration were produced. Tensile experiments of these materials were done in Uludağ University. The change of mechanical properties of polythene material by the reinforcement of copper fibre was investigated. The elongation ratios of materials having direction of 90°, 45° and 0° copper fibre reinforcementwere measured by strain-gages and poission ratio, elasticity stress and sheer stress were calculated. By the results of force elongation diagrams elasticity in elastic region and plasticity constant (K), deformation hardening exponential (n) in plastic region were calculated. Increase in volume concentration increased the elasticity stress, rupture stress, poission ratio, yielding stress and sliding stress. The elasticity stres, yielding stres and rupture stress of the reinforcement with the direction of 90° was higher than the other directions and substrate material. The plasticity constant (K) and deformation hardening (n) were decreased. Keywords: Copper Fibre Reinforced, Mechanical Properties, Tensile Test, Thermoplastic Composite.