The Effect of Processing Conditions on the Properties of Thermoplastic Composites

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites are produced from SpectraShield 3124 to evaluate the influence of the magnitude of the temperature and the pressure used to consolidate the composite on selected mechanical and physical properties. In this study, properties of composites processed using higher and lower temperatures and pressures than is the industry standard are examined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to examine differences in crystallinity, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is used to examine creep compliance response of the different materials. Tensile properties of the composites are also evaluated. Results indicate that higher processing pressure may result in more favorable tensile properties, but that the impact of processing temperature is relatively small.