Fibre Length Distribution and Dispersion during the Injection Moulding Process: An experimental study evaluating fibre length attrition and dispersion during processing of long glass fibre reinforced polymer composites in injection moulding including an evaluation of long glass fibre measurement techniques

Abstract

This project evaluates fibre length dispersion and distribution within the injection moulding process of long glass fibre reinforced polypropylene, sponsored by Autodesk Simulation. The primary material used in this investigation was a 15 mm long glass fibre reinforced polypropylene consisting of two fibre content levels, 20 wt. % and 40 wt. %. A review of previous research was compiled in this study to evaluate various glass fibre measurement methods and fibre breakage studies to establish where along the injection moulding process fibre breakage predominantly occurs and which process parameters have the greatest influence on fibre length distribution along the screw. Based on literature findings, a manual fibre length measurement method was developed and applied in this study and benchmarked against existing commercially available automated software programs and found to be more accurate in obtaining a reliable fibre length distribution within a glass fibre reinforced sample. Fibre length measurements from the nozzle confirmed that the majority of fibre breakage had already occurred in the screw. Measurements taken along the screw showed a drastic decrease in weighted average glass fibre length from initial pellet form to the end of the metering zone with sudden transitions to lower weighted average values seen at the beginning of the feeding zone and along the compression zone. Fibre dispersion results from the nozzle and along the screw through the use of a μ-CT scanner showed a complex fibre flow and orientation of fibres with the preservation of fibre clusters being seen all along the injection moulding process but chiefly in the feeding and compression zones of the screw.