LOAD-BEARING CAPABILITY OF SHORT-FIBER THERMOPLASTICS COMPOSITES - NEW PRACTICAL SYSTEM OF EVALUATION

The load‐bearing capabilities of short‐fiber reinforced thermoplastics composites can be evaluated, in principle, by the methods known to be satisfactory for unreinforced thermoplastics, but in practice the cost of a comprehensive evaluation of a composite would be prohibitive because of the anisotropy of the properties and its variation from point to point. For the same reasons the properties measured on a specimen cut from a molding may have little relevance to its overall performance. This paper describes recent experiments that could lead to a radical change in testing strategy. Instead of the classical method in which standard specimens cut from moldings are assumed to provide the various stiffness coefficients needed for anisotropic stress analysis, simple moldings such as discs or plaques are tested directly. The sacrifice of precision in the measurements and the loss of rigor in the definition of the measured quantities is more than compensated for by a gain in the general utility of the data and the substantial reduction in the cost of evaluations. The mechanical properties of shortfiber thermoplastics composites are particularly sensitive to mold geometry and the new methods of testing enable the effects to be assessed readily, whereas the information generated by the classical method is virtually indecipherable in that context. Examples are given in the paper. Copyright © 1979 Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc.