DETERMINE THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GLASS FIBRE

COMPOSITES BASED ON DIFFERENT VOLUME

COMPOSITION

GROUP 3MUHAMMAD SYAFIQ BIN MEGT JIWA A133083AHMAD ASYBILLAH BIN AZNAN A133068ABDUL MALEK BIN ABDUL SHUKUR A133490KHOR SU SENG A134084

OBJECTIVE

Determine the tensile strength of glass fibre composites with 35/65, 45/55 and 55/45 volume composition

Determine the beast fibre glass composition

APPARATUS

Zwick Roell - Universal Tensile Machine Compression moulding Machine Gloves Clamp Meter Ruler Vernier calliper Syringe Scissors

MATERIAL Polyester Butanox M50 Fiberglass

Example of fiber glass application in real life

MATERIAL DENSITY

Fiberglass ( woven ) = 2.5g/cm Polyester = 1.4g/cm Butanox M50 = 1.48g/cm

Ratio of Polyester with Butanox = 100:2(provided on the bottle)

MATERIAL COMPOSITION

35/65 (35% Fibre, 65% Matrix) - Vf = 1.32cm^3 Vm = 2.45cm^3

45/55 (45% Fibre, 55% Matrix) - Vf = 1.32cm^3 Vm = 1.61cm^3

55/45 (55% Fibre, 45% Matrix) -Vf = 1.32cm^3 Vm = 1.08cm^3

METHODOLOGY OFPREPARING THE SPECIMEN

Fiber glass (woven rovin)Polyester resin

Butanox M-50 (hardener)

PREPARING THE SPECIMEN

All the materials and apparatus needed as listed above are prepared.

The fibre glass (woven rovin) is cut to 10.0cm × 10.0cm size. (3 pieces is prepared).

Polyester and Butanox M-50 each is prepared in a container. 55/45 volume composition of fiber glass composite is used.

Fibre glass (woven rovin)10.0cm x 10.0cm

The silicon wax is spread inside the mould and it is used as the releasing agent.

The polyester with hardener is mixed inside a container. The ratio of polyester to Butanox M-50 used in preparing this matrix is 50:1.

The resin mixture is poured into the mould slowly and all the resin mixture spread evenly.

Silicon wax is spread Mixture of polyester and Butanox M-50 is spread

The first layer of fibre glass material is placed.

The resin mixture is poured again inside the mould on the first layer of the fibre glass.

Step 6 to 8 is repeated until the third layer of fibre glass is layup.

First fibre glass layer is layup with resin mixture spread on it

The mould temperature is set to 170 degree Celsius. (2 of 3 of the melting point temperature of polyester).

The mould is placed on the platform inside the compression moulding machine.

The lever is pulled up to compress the mould. The mould is compressed up to 50 Bar.

The mould is left inside the compression moulding for 15 minutes.

The mould is taken out - 15 minutes. The hot mould cooled down – cool down the

temperature of the mould. After that, the mould is opened and the

specimen is taken out. The next two specimen for volume fraction of

45/55 and 35/65 is prepared. Repeat step 2 - 17 for next two compositions.

TENSILE TEST METHODOLOGY All 3 specimens are cut into dumb bell shape as

shown in figure. Each specimen is cut to 3 pieces. The tensile test is carried out by using Universal

Testing Machine – Zwick Roell.

Strain rate : 1mm/min

Vernier calliper is used to measure the thickness and width of the dumbbell shape specimen.

The specimen is clamped and all related dimensions are inserted into the computer software for tensile test.

The pre load is set to 3N so that the specimen can be grip firmly.

Once the specimen is broken, all the data values are recorded and the graph for applied stress over strain is saved. After that, the specimen is taken off.

Step 2 - 4 is repeated for next specimen.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Volume composition 55/45

  Maximum

Tensile

Stress

(Mpa)

Maximum

Tensile

Strain

(Mpa)

Young’s

modulus

(Mpa)

Specimen 1 46.1 0.9 7110

Specimen 2 33.3 0.8 6770

Specimen 3 31.9 0.8 7280

Volume composition 45/55

  Maximum

Tensile Stress

(MPa)

Maximum

Tensile Strain

(MPa)

Young’s

modulus

(MPa)

Specimen 1 16.3 1.0 11400

Specimen 2 57.5 0.8 8500

Specimen 3 79.2 1.1 9780

Volume composition 35/65

  Maximum

Tensile Stress

(MPa)

Maximum

Tensile Strain

(MPa)

Young’s

modulus

(MPa)

Specimen 1 57.8 0.9 8020

Specimen 2 60.0 1.0 8080

Specimen 3 57.5 0.8 8350

Based on 3 volume composition Differ value tensile stress for each The highest average 45/55 volume

composition Strength of composite is depends on

optimum composition fiber and matrix

CONCLUSION

Average Young modulus for glass fibre reinforced polyester for volume composition of 55/45 is 7053.33 MPa.

Average Young modulus for glass fiber reinforced polyester for volume composition of 45/55 is 9893.33 MPa.

Average Young modulus for glass fiber reinforced polyester for volume composition of 35/65 is 8150 MPa.

The compostion of matrix and fiber determine the properties of the compostion. The optimum composition of matrix and fiber always provide the highest mechanical properties.