Mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of particulate reinforced composites made from dry powder-power blends

Abstract

A process for fabricating particulate reinforced composites from dry powder-powder blends was developed. The process was designed to exploit the nature of fine powder constituent materials, such that the energy input during the molding process could be reduced. Polymer and reinforcement materials were chosen, characterized, and molded into composite plaques. These composites were characterized in terms of mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties. Stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion, and overall dimensional stability were found to improve; and strength, strain-to-failure, and toughness were found to decrease to varying degrees. The results of these predictions were compared with simple micromechanics models to gain a better understanding of their physical behavior.