Damage analysis and the fibre-matrix effect in polypropylene reinforced by short glass fibres above glass transition temperature

In this paper an experimental and theoretic study of the influence of the fibre-matrix interface on the damage of the polypropylene reinforced with 40% in mass of short glass fibres is described. Tensile tests show the existence of several zones of behaviour, which are linear, non-linear without damage and non-linear with damage for material with treated and untreated short glass fibres. Creep tests with damage were carried out on each material. The number of acoustic emission events characterizing each damage mechanism, is more significant for the material with treated fibres. Also, the kinetics of damage is more pronounced in the first phase of damage for material with untreated fibres. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.