Microstructural characterization of short glass fibre reinforced polyethersulfone composites

ABSTRACT To explore the effect of short glass fiber reinforcement (SGFR) on the mechanical properties of polyethersulfone (PES), microstructural characterization has been performed by positron lifetime technique. The free volume distribution of SGFR‐PES composites derived from CONTIN‐PALS2 program exhibits the narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) indicates the strong interaction between polymeric chains of PES matrix and SGF. The positron lifetime parameters of SGFR‐PES composites are correlated with the mechanical properties viz., Tensile strength (TS), Young's modulus (YM) and elongation at break (EB). The decreased positron lifetime parameters, improved mechanical properties and reduced crystallinity of SGFR‐PES composites are attributed to the improved chemical and physical interaction between the functional groups of both SGF and PES matrix. This is clearly evident from the FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry) studies. The hydrodynamic interaction parameter (h) show negative values, suggest the improved interaction in SGFR‐PES composites by the generation of excess friction at the interface. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43647.