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Article

Hybrid Composites Based on Polypropylene with Basalt/Hazelnut Shell Fillers: The Influence of Temperature, Thermal Aging, and Water Absorption on Mechanical Properties

Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Institute of Materials Engineering, Tadeusz Kosciuszko Cracow University of Technology, Al. Jana Pawła II 37, 31-864 Cracow, Poland
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Polymers 2020, 12(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12010018
Received: 15 November 2019 / Revised: 12 December 2019 / Accepted: 17 December 2019 / Published: 20 December 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eurofillers Polymer Blends)
The aim of the research was to study the effects of adding natural fillers to a polypropylene (PP) matrix on mechanical and physical properties of hybrid composites. The 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight basalt fibers (BF) and ground hazelnut shells (HS) were added to the PP matrix. Composites were produced by making use of an injection molding method. Tensile strength, tensile modulus, strain at break, Charpy impact strength, and the coefficient of thermal expansion were determined. The influence of temperature, thermal aging, and water absorption on mechanical properties was also investigated. In addition, short-time creep tests were carried out. To characterize the morphology and the filler distribution within the matrix, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used. The results showed that the addition of the two types of filler enhanced mechanical properties. Furthermore, improvements in thermal stability were monitored. After water absorption, the changes in the tensile properties of the tested composites were moderate. However, thermal aging caused a decrease in tensile strength and tensile modulus. View Full-Text
Keywords: hazelnut shell; basalt fiber; polypropylene; hybrid composites; natural filler; thermoplastic hazelnut shell; basalt fiber; polypropylene; hybrid composites; natural filler; thermoplastic
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MDPI and ACS Style

Kufel, A.; Kuciel, S. Hybrid Composites Based on Polypropylene with Basalt/Hazelnut Shell Fillers: The Influence of Temperature, Thermal Aging, and Water Absorption on Mechanical Properties. Polymers 2020, 12, 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12010018

AMA Style

Kufel A, Kuciel S. Hybrid Composites Based on Polypropylene with Basalt/Hazelnut Shell Fillers: The Influence of Temperature, Thermal Aging, and Water Absorption on Mechanical Properties. Polymers. 2020; 12(1):18. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12010018

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kufel, Anna, and Stanisław Kuciel. 2020. "Hybrid Composites Based on Polypropylene with Basalt/Hazelnut Shell Fillers: The Influence of Temperature, Thermal Aging, and Water Absorption on Mechanical Properties" Polymers 12, no. 1: 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12010018

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