Influence of screw configuration and processing temperature on the properties of short glass fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

Short glass fiber reinforced polymers are used in many different applications due to their good property profiles. These properties are directly correlated with the fiber length present in the final composite, which can be influenced through the process. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the influence of processing temperature and screw configuration in compounding on the properties of glass fiber reinforced polypropylene. On the one hand, the barrel temperature was varied between 180°C and 260°C and, on the other hand, four different screw configurations were applied using a standard temperature profile. Specimens were produced by injection molding, which were tested via mechanical characterization, density, and fiber length measurements as well as morphology through microscopical analysis. We found, that with higher barrel temperatures and screw configurations bringing lower shear into the melt the glass fiber length is preserved better, thus resulting in improved composite properties. Also the interfacial interaction is not influenced within the investigated parameters, as was checked via the application of a micromechanical model in composite strength. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:1552–1559 2019.