Use of silanes and copolymers as adhesion promoters glass fiber/polyethylene composites

Two organofunctional silanes and three functionalized copolymers were used as adhesion promoters in glass fiber/polyethylene-reinforced composites. The performance of the coupling agents was investigated by mechanical property measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Coupling achieved with the poly(ethylene-g-maleic anhydride) copolymer proved to be the most successful compared with the other copolymers (ethylene/vinyl alcohol, ethylene/acrylic acid) and silane agents ( gamma -methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy, cationic styryl). The combined coupling performance of the silanes and copolymers examined in this study appears to be controlled by the coupling performance of the copolymer. Effective coupling was reflected in increased mechanical properties. Increased fiber/matrix adhesion is not always associated with effective coupling because structural changes occurring at the interface region can result in a deterioration of the material property. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.