The use of nano and micron-sized particles to enhance the interlayer adhesion in self-reinforced, single-polymer composites

Recent work has shown that the interlayer adhesion of single-polymer composites produced by the Leeds hot compaction process can be significantly improved by either introducing interleaved films of the same polymer between the layers of woven oriented tapes that make up the composite or by the incorporation of carbon nanofibres (CNF) into the oriented tapes prior to hot compaction, or by a combination of these two approaches to produce a synergistic effect. Following on from these findings, we have now investigated the changes in the interlayer peel strength caused by incorporating other micron and nano-scale fillers into polypropylene films which are interleaved into the interlayer region of the hot compacted composite. The filler initially chosen for this study was talc, but a number of other fillers have also been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to image the peel surfaces and to undertake a preliminary study of the effects of particle size and shape on the peel strength.