Mechanical properties of surface treated UHMWPE fiber and SiO2 filled PMMA composites

The hybrid reinforcement effect of surface-treated UHMWPE fiber and SiO2 on the mechanical properties of PMMA matrix composites was investigated. When UHMWPE fiber is introduced, the tensile strength of UHMWPE fiber-reinforced composites sharply increases. The flexural modulus was enhanced with an increase in filler loading. Flexural modulus of the treated UHMWPE/SiO2/PMMA composites was higher than that of the UHMWPE/PMMA and UHMWPE/SiO2/PMMA composites. The outcome of the better interfacial bonding between the filler and the matrix is reflected in the improvement of the mechanical properties of the treated UHMWPE/SiO2/PMMA composites. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.