Fibre waviness reduction in thermoplastic pultrusion by using DREF yarns

Abstract

Non-reactive thermoplastic pultrusion impregnation issues are mitigated by using hybrid input materials. Co-wound (CW) and commingled yarns are an assembly of continuous polymer and reinforcement fibres. Continuous thermoplastic fibres have shown to induce waviness in the reinforcement fibres during pultrusion due to their shrinkage at high temperature. DREF yarns are composed of a core of continuous reinforcement fibres onto which discontinuous polymer fibres are applied using the friction spinning process. This study, based on the application of 3 N and 0 N tension on CW and DREF yarns, aimed to highlight the contribution of discontinuous polymer fibres on reducing reinforcement waviness in pultruded rods. CW yarns’ reaction to heating showed continuous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres shrinkage resulting in wavy glass fibres (GF). Conversely, the GF in DREF yarns remained straight. Pultrusion experiments with yarn tension of 3 N were done to alleviate the GF waviness. However, the porosity was rather high at 4.2 % for CW rods and 2.3 % for DREF rods. Pultrusion experiments without tension showed lower porosity of level of 2.9 % for CW yarns and as low as 1.1 % for DREF yarns. However, CT-scan image indicated GF waviness in CW rods. GF in DREF rods remained straight. The in-plane shear strength reached 119 MPa. Thermoplastic pultrusion using DREF yarns resulted in composites without reinforcement fibre waviness, lower porosity level and superior shear strength.