Characterization of tensile behaviour of hybrid short glass fibre calcite particle ABS composites

The tensile properties of hybrid, injection molded, short glass fibre (SGF)/calcite particle/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composites have been investigated. To gain an insight into some possible combined effect of the SGF/ABS interfacial adhesion strength and the calcite particle/ABS adhesion strength on the tensile properties of the hybrid composites, the glass fibres employed in the investigation were as-received and sized with an aminosilane/polyurethane dispersion and a cationic aminosilane/epoxy dispersion. Simple modified rules of mixtures were used to estimate the fibre efficiency factors for the strength and modulus of the hybrid composites. It was observed that the fibre efficiency factor for the strength of hybrid composites, and hence the composite strength, were reduced by the addition of calcite particles for the as-received case but not for the two sized cases. Thus, it appears that the glass fibre/ABS adhesion strength and the calcite particle/ABS adhesion strength have a combined effect on the strength of hybrid SCTF/calcite/ABS composites. This investigation presents a qualitative explanation of the reduction in the fibre efficiency factor for the strength of the hybrid composites. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Limited.