ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the influence of coupler concentration on the tensile properties of novel plain-woven glass fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (GFRTP) composites. The morphological study was conducted on the samples using scanning electron microscope (SEM) to analyse the interaction between matrix and fibre. Numerous techniques were implemented in the manufacturing of thermoplastic composites such as film stacking, thermoforming and vacuum bagging. In the present study, the GFRTP composite laminates were fabricated using film-stacking technique in hot compression-moulding machine. The aminosilane-treated glass fibre (GF) fabric was stacked in between polypropylene (PP) film for 2 mm thickness and the maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) powder was distributed uniformly in all layers. The glass fibre-reinforced PP composites were fabricated by using the film-stacking method in the hot compression-moulding machine. The influence of MAPP concentration on morphological and tensile properties of aminosilane-treated glass fibre-reinforced PP composites was investigated.
