FUNCTIONALIZATION OF GLASS FIBERS FOR OBTAINING POLYPROPYLENE BASED COMPOSITE MATERIALS

In this paper, the technology for obtaining polypropylene (PP) based composite materials reinforced with functionalized glass fibers (GF) is described. In the first step, glass fibers were functionalized by hydrolysis/condensation with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane as functionalization agent and in the second step, these materials were compounded at 180 C in a Brabender mixer with isotactic polypropylene. The obtained composites were morphologically and structurally characterized by X ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that GF functionalization leads to a better glass fiber polymer interaction, GF being covered by an intimate PP film.