This report covers semi and non-crystalline thermoplastics, polymer blends and various classes of reinforcing fibres, and the properties which determine their suitability for specific applications. A detailed discussion of the injection moulding of reinforced thermoplastics includes the effect of processing on fibre distribution and breakage. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provides useful references for further reading.

The reinforcement of materials such as mud and clay by hair, straw and vegetable fibres has been long established in man's history, enabling him to improve his buildings and extend his engineering abilities. With the advent of modern synthetic polymers it was rapidly realised that the addition of fibres, flakes and particulate materials to polymer matrices could improve mechanical properties significantly. Fibres and flakes are the most effective and have enabled several polymers with limited properties to compete with long-established metallic materials, reSUlting in cost, weight and processing economies. This is increasingly apparent in the selection of materials for aerospace and road vehicle applications as well as in a multitude of domestic products. Reinforced plastics, both thermosets and thermoplastics, are used in increasingly harsh environments involving elevated temperatures and aggressive conditions. Fibre reinforcement of thermoplastics dominates, and a pattern of increasing replacement of fibre reinforced thermosets by reinforced thermoplastics is emerging. This trend is encouraged by the development of continuous fibre reinforced grades of the newer high-temperature engineering thermoplastics such as polyether ether ketone. The first part of this book reviews the mechanical properties and theories of short fibre reinforcement. The principal reinforcements are reviewed and a separate chapter is devoted to the uses of natural fibres as reinforcements for thermoplastics. This is an interesting and commercially important area, especially for Third World countries v vi Preface where these fibres are grown but are facing severe competition from synthetic fibres in traditional applications such as ropes and matting.

A requirement for the safe design of thermoplastic parts is the ability to precisely predict mechanical behaviour by finite element simulations. Typical examples include the engineering of relevant components in automotive applications. For this purpose adequate material models are essential. In this context, the present work introduces a material modelling approach for short fibre reinforced thermoplastics (SFRTPs). SFRTP parts are processed cost-effectively by injection moulding and show a varying degree of anisotropy due to the locally inhomogeneous fibre distributions that arise during the moulding process. The presented material model considers linear-elastic behaviour and non-linear orthotropic stress-state dependent viscoplastic deformation for arbitrary fibre distributions. The constitutive equations are verified with the experiments of a PPGF30 material regarding different stress-states and orientations.

This book bridges the technology and business aspects of thermoplastics, providing a guide designed for engineers working in real-world industrial settings. The author explores the criteria for material selection, provides a detailed guide to each family of thermoplastics, and also explains the various processing options for each material type. More than 30 families of thermoplastics are described with information on their advantages and drawbacks, special grades, prices, transformation processes, applications, thermal behaviour, technological properties (tenacity, friction, dimensional stability), durability (ageing, creep, fatigue), chemical and fire behaviour, electrical properties, and joining possibilities. Biron explores the technological properties and economics of the major thermoplastics and reinforced thermoplastics, such as polyethylene, and emerging polymers such as polybenzimidazole, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) and bioplastics. In the second edition, a new section 'plastics solutions for practical problems' provides over 25 case studies illustrating a wide range of design and production challenges across the spectrum of thermoplastics, from metal and glass replacement solutions, to fire retardant plastics and antimicrobials. In addition, Biron provides major new material on bioplastics and wood plastic composites (WPCs), and fully updated data throughout. Combining materials data, information on processing techniques, and economic aspects (pricing), Biron provides a unique end-to-end approach to the selection and use of materials in the plastics industry and related sectors Includes a new section of case studies, illustrating best practice across a wide range of applications and industry sectors New material on bioplastics and sustainable composites

The Handbook of Reinforced Plastics is a complete and practical manual for specifying and selecting reinforced plastic products and services. The handbook covers all materials and classes of equipment currently available, with over 550 pages of editorial, illustrations and tables.