Analysis and optimization of tensile strength of PVC/fiberglass composite laminates

In this work, the effect of production parameters on properties of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)/fiberglass thermoplastic composite laminates was investigated. The composite laminates were produced by film stacking procedure, while three important process parameters including Pressure, Temperature and processing time were controlled in five levels. Response surface method (RSM) was used to design of experiments and totally sixteen samples were produced. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of each sample were obtained using uniaxial tensile test and the effects of process parameters on the strength and elastic modulus were studied. Finally, by analyzing of microscopic images, impregnation and bonding quality between fibers and matrix were studied. It was concluded that temperature has the maximum effect on strength and by increasing of temperature up to a critical temperature, the strength increases. Above the critical temperature, the strength reduces significantly due to degradation of PVC.