Impact fracture behavior of modified polypropylene/wood fiber composites

Impact fracture behavior of PP/wood fiber composites modified with maleated polypropylene as compatibilizer and poly(butadiene styrene) rubber as impact modifier has been studied by instrumented Charpy impact testing. Although the impact strength reflects toughening of the PP matrix of modified composites by using the impact modifier and the compatibilizer, analyses on the individual stages of the impact event, such as crack initiation and propagation, have been undertaken for deeper understanding of toughness behavior. While the crack initiation energy is mostly only a little material-dependent and reflects the matrix behavior, the crack propagation energy is much more influenced by the morphology. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.