The effects of various types and amounts of fumed silica and graphite nanoplatelets on the microstructure and thermomechanical properties of polypropylene composites containing 5, 10, and 20 wt% of short glass fibers have been analyzed. Hybrid composites were produced by melt compounding and compression molding. The aspect ratio of the short glass fiber decreased with the fiber loading and the nanofiller amount. The tensile strength and elastic modulus increased, while the elongation at break decreased as the content of both short glass fiber and nanofiller increased. A twopopulation model, based on the Halpin-Tsai and Tsai-Pagano composite theories, was used to predict the elastic modulus of the nano-micro hybrid composites. Experimental values appear to be reasonably consistent with model predictions. Tensile energy to break under impact conditions increased with the short glass fiber content but decreased with nanofiller amount. Moreover, storage modulus and creep stability were remarkably enhanced in short glass fiber composites by the presence of both nanofillers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.