Effect of Compatibilizer on the Properties of Polyamide 6 Blend Based Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites

Abstract

Carbon fiber composites are preferred in transportation sector due to their high specific strength, modulus and resistance to corrosive environments. This paper reports on usage of Polyamide 6 in automobile exterior components by adding 30 % PP, PP-g-MA (Polypropylene-grafted-Maleic anhydride) as a compatibilizer and Short Carbon fibers (SCF) as reinforcement. The effect of compatibilizer on the tensile and impact properties of the composites has been studied. Composite with 3 phr PP-g-MA and 5 wt% SCF revealed highest tensile strength and only 10 % reduction in its value due to water saturation. Microstructure analysis and Grey relational analysis confirmed the experimental results.