Study of autoclave process to manufacture thermoplastic composites constituted by PP/flax fibers

Study of autoclave process to manufacture thermoplastic composites constituted by PP/flax fibers

Gianluca Parodo, Luca Sorrentino, Sandro Turchetta

Abstract. Autoclave processes are widely used from industries that produce thermoset polymer composite parts. However, these materials show sustainability issues as they are non-recyclable and produced by energy-intensive processes. The use of thermoplastic matrices reinforced with natural fibers can solve these problems; however the optimal use of this material is linked to the knowledge of the forming parameters. In this work, starting from semipreg sheets, the autoclave forming process for parts in flax woven and polypropylene is studied and developed: it represents a fundamental step to develop the use of these new eco-friendly materials starting from the well-established industrial knowledge, not only in terms of environmental sustainability, but also economic and social sustainability. First, working temperatures were determined by DSC and TGA; while optimal forming pressure were determined by ILSS tests.

Keywords
Thermoplastic Composites, Natural Fibers, Thermoforming, Process Parameters, Experimental Tests

Published online 9/5/2023, 8 pages
Copyright © 2023 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA

Citation: Gianluca Parodo, Luca Sorrentino, Sandro Turchetta, Study of autoclave process to manufacture thermoplastic composites constituted by PP/flax fibers, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 35, pp 385-392, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644902714-46

The article was published as article 46 of the book Italian Manufacturing Association Conference

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

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