Effect of Short Glass Fiber Loading on the Mechanical Behaviour of PA66/PTFE Blend Composites

The polymer blend of Polyamide66 and Polytetrafluroethylene (PA66/PTFE) (80/20 wt.%) were selected for the study. These blends were reinforced with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 wt.% of silane treated short glass fibers (SGF) and were prepared by using melt mixing method with the help of twin screw extruder. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength were studied in addition to hardness of the blend composites as per ASTM. The results revealed that the addition of SGF into PA66/PTFE blend greatly enhanced the mechanical properties of the polymer blend. The tensile strength and the flexural strength of the blend was almost double than that of the neat blend after reinforcing 30 wt.% of SGF. The addition of SGF into the blend greatly improved the flexural modulus and also the hardness of the blend. The impact strength of the blend decreased initially and then increased after the SGF addition into the blend. The density of PA66/PTFE blend increased after SGF addition. The strain at break almost remained constant but deflection due to bending decreased with the addition of SGF into the studied polyblend. However, the effect of higher loading of SGF on the mechanical behavior of PA66/PTFE blend was greatly appreciable. The fractured surfaces of the specimens were examined by using Scanning Electron Microscope photographs (SEM).