ISSN (1897-3310)

ARCHIVES Volume 10
Special Issue 3/2010
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FOUNDRY ENGINEERING
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Published quarterly as the organ of the Foundry Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences

The methods of evaluation of mechanical

properties of polymer matrix composites
S. Mazurkiewicz, R. Porębska
Mechanical Department, Cracow University of Technology, al. Jana Pawła II 37, 31-864 Kraków, Poland
Corresponding author: E-mail address: renatagg@interia.pl

Received 30.04.2010; accepted in revised form 30.05.2010

Abstract
There is a relationship between the value of energy dissipation and characteristics of hysteresis loop during the first loading of cycles and
mechanical features of composites. The ability to understand these relationship let us evaluate mechanical properties of composites during
exploitation and can be helpful while searching for optimal parameters of processing. The investigation of basic mechanical properties of
polyamide (PA) with 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% glass fiber, polyacetal (POM) with 15, 25 and 35% glass fiber and 10, 15, 25% of mineral
filler and polypropylen (PP) with the same contents of mineral filler was executed. The investigation during the first cycles of mechanical
loading was made for three levels of load. Estimation of changes of dissipated energy and modulus of elasticity in function of number of
cycles was done. Differences between the values of dissipated energy in the first following mechanical cycles inform us about the type of
adhesion between the fillers and the polymer and about the change in the internal stresses in composites. The first loading cycles eliminate
the extremely stressed areas in the volume of the material mainly through craking of adhesion connections between the reinforcement and
the matrix. The value of dissipation energy in the first loading cycles can show the level of processing excellence and quality of the
composite.

Keywords: mechanical properties; composites; energy dissipation

composite materials [1]. Using professional computer programme

1. Introduction we can check the quality of composites. Another method to
check the quality of polymeric materials is the value of the
Polymers and its composites processed by injection method
energy dissipation during the first loading of cycles.
widespread in many branches of modern industry. Participation of
All real materials, in one way or another, exhibit a departure from
fulfilled materials in products, which are destined for using not
ideal elastic behaviour, even at very small strain values. These
only in everyday life still increase. In that case, conducting studies
departure, under cyclic deformation, result in irreversible energy
aim at deep came to knowing the phenomena proceeded during
dissipation in the materials.
wide known as polymer proceessing, is well grounded [1].
Simulation investigations results let us claim, that specialize
The causes of such loss are many, includingthe irreversible
computer programs make prediction of specific phenomena
transfer of mechanical energy into heat, growth of cracks and
appearing for particular process possible. Modern simulation
other defects, and microplastic deformation of crystals, to name
programs provide satisfying true image of reality [2-4]. The
but few [5-6]. The definition of energy dissipation during each
application od professional computer programs to injection
loading and unloading cycle [7] says that: the whole energy is
molding process make possible to eliminate series of structural
composed of elastic energy and plastic energy. The elastic energy
errors during designing and introducing into production new
is released after unloading to zero load. The plastic energy further

ARCHIVES of FOUNDRY ENGINEERING Volume 10, Special Issue 3/2010, 209-212 209
divided into two parts: one from matrix shear banding and another In this paper differences between the values of dissipated
from the cavitation. From the experimental results, it is energy in the first following mechanical cycles is studied.
impossible to separate these two parts of plastic energy. However, Estimation of changes of dissipated energy and modulus of
scientists [7] consider that this energy by heat diffusion takes a elasticity in function of number of cycles are done. A new method
small part in the total energy. Most of the energy was consumed of testing polymers quality based on histeresis loops is presented.
by the elastic and plastic deformation including the influence of
temperature rising. The energy dissipation is such a popular
phenomenon for materials that it is not surprising that the energy
dissipation behaviour of materials has long attracted the attention
2. Work methodology
of scientists and engineers [8]. When a stress is applied to a
Two types of fillers: mineral filler – tuff and glass fiber were
polymer, a part of the energy is dissipated by the movements of
used. Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic
chains – viscous flow. These effects are time (or speed or
ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption [23]. Specimens
frequency) and temperature dependent – time/temperature
were preapared by injection molding from: polyamide with 10,
superposition principle [9]. Energy dissipation is mainly governed
20, 30, 40 and 50% glass fiber, polyacetal with 15, 25 and 35%
by adhesive viscoelastic properties, but the exact quantitative
glass fiber and 10, 15, 25% of mineral filler and polypropylen
effect of these dissipation mechanisms is still unsolved [9].
with the same contents of mineral filler. The dynamic tensile test
The different sources of energy dissipation in fiber-reinforced
was performed using Instron tensile testing machine on the level
composites are: viscoelastic nature of matrix and/or fiber
of load 0,8 yield point and on the level of frequency 0,2 Hz.
materials [10], damping due to interphase [11], damping due to
during 10 cycles. The total energy, dissipation energy, coefficient
damage [10], viscoplastic damping [12] and thermoelastic
of dispersion of energy and the modulus of elasticity for each
damping [13].
hysteresis loop were calculated.
It is well known that the toughness of a material is directly
dependent on the energy dissipation [14]. Hence, various efforts
were made on developing the methods of analyses and/or
calculations of energy dissipation. For instance, Xu and 3. Results of researches
Schmauder [15] sucessfully analyzed plastic energy dissipation in
a particle-reinforced metal composites using the finite element Mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites result
method combined with cell modeling. They found that the energy from a combination of the filler and matrix properties and the
dissipation in the composites strongly depends on the loading ability to transfer stresses across the filler/matrix interface. Fig. 1
amplitude, volume fraction and modulus of inclusions under and 2 show the first and tenth histeresis loop for PA with 40%
cyclic loading and the condition of no interfacial debonding glass fibre content. The energy dissipated at the first cycles is
between inclusions and matrix. Wu et al. [16] proposed a new greater than that at following cycles and the values of dissipation
theoretical model on energy dissipation, which was applied to energy stabilizes after the first few loading cycles. This efect
analyze the fatigue strengt of AISI 304 stainlesssteel. Newman appears in all composites. The results show (fig.3) that the
and Strella [17] calculated the energy absorbet by rubber particles addition of the fibre caused more energy dissipated and energy
and discussed the effect of the absorbed energy on the toughness dissipated greatly increased with increasing fibre content.
of the material. Bucknall and Smith [18] proposed a multi-craze
theory, and found that the nucleation and evolution of craze
5
would lead to lots of energy dissipation. Adams and Bacon [19]
developed a macromechanical model for damping in
undirectional fiber- reinforced composites. It states that the 4
energy dissipated in a thin unidirectional lamina is sum of the
LOAD [KN]

separate energy dissipated due to longitudinal stress, transverse 3

stress and shear stress. Consequently the specific damping
capavity can be defined as the ratio of energy dissipated to strain
energy stored. Hysteresis experiment is a simple method for the 2
analysis of the nature of energy dissipation of a polymer. The area
enclosed bythe histeresis loop corresponds to the dissipated 1
energy for each cycle [20].
0
Sugimoto, Sasaki and Yamasaki [21] discovered that the
0 0,5 1
accumulation of strain energy is a fatigue indicator, the fatigue
process and failure criterion for the plywood specimens under the DEFORMATION [MM]
three loading conditions were commonly expressed by the
relationship between cumulative strain energy and loading cycles.
Fig. 1. The first hysteresis loop for PA40
Topoliński and Cieszyński [22] try to use energy dissipation
to fatigue test of materials. These investigations were carried out
in in the time of tests in which dissipation energy of individual
fatigue cycle was controlled.

210 ARCHIVES of FOUNDRY ENGINEERING Volume 10, Special Issue 3/2010, 209-212
 5
4,5
4. Conclusion
4 From the experimental results obtained during this study, the
3,5
]
N3 following conclusion can be drawn:
K
[ Examined composites, together with the occurrence of the
2,5
D following loading cycles, at the equal power levels, show a
A2 reduction of the value of dissipation energy. Its value stabilizes
O
1,5
L after the first few loading cycles
1
There is a relationship between the value of dissipation energy
0,5
and mechanical properties of examined composites. It is shown
0
through the value change of module of elasticity which is getting
0 0,5 1 1,5 down during the first loading cycles. On the basis of performed
DEFORMATION [MM] researches, it is recommended to verify the methodology of
marking Young’s module and other, so called effective
Fig. 2. The tenth hysteresis loop for PA40 mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites.Differences
the first loop the tenth loop
between the values of dissipated energy in the first following
mechanical cycles inform us about the type of adhesion between
the fiber and the polymer and about the change in the internal
0,09
stresses in composites. The first loading cycles eliminate the
DISSIPATION ENERGY [J]

extremely stressed areas in the volume of the material mainly

through craking of adhesion connections between the
0,06 reinforcement and the matrix.
The conclusion from tests allow to evaluate the choice of
processing parameters and perdict long-term exploitation and
0,03 strength features of these composites.
The values of dissipation energy in the first loading cycles can
show the level of processing excellence and quality of the
composite. The quality of the given composite defines the length
0 of stabilization of the dissipation energy.
0 15 25 35
GLASS FIBER CONTENT [%]
Fig. 3. The relationship between the value of dissipation energy References
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