Production of Flax Polypropylene (Flax/PP) Injection Moldable Pellets for Automotive Applications Using Pultrusion (abstract only)

Abstract

The aim of this research project was to demonstrate the use of pultrusion technology to make flax and polypropylene (flax/PP) injection moldable pellets for automotive applications. Rods of 3/16 inches in diameter were pultruded using multi-die vacuumassisted pultrusion system. The fiber volume fraction of the rods was 50% and the void content was below 3%. The rods could be pelletized into different lengths based on request and it can be pelletized in the range of 3 to 25 mm. The impregnation quality in pultruded rods was characterized by optical microscopy and void content measurements. During pultrusion of flax/PP the fiber bundles attained great degree of fiber collimation. Due to the low shear involved in the pultrusion process, fairly little fiber damage was observed. The pellets were successfully used during injection molding of dogbone coupons.