Fabrication of the new structure high toughness PP/HA-PP sandwich nano-composites by rolling process

In this study a designed rolling setup was used to fabricate new structure polypropylene/hydroxyapatite-polypropylene (PP/HA-PP) sandwich nano-composites. To check the effect of rolling process and PP layers content on the structure and mechanical properties of these sandwich composites, different mechanical tests and analysis were performed on these composites. Results of tensile, bending and buckling tests show the rolling process improves the strength, modulus and flexural rigidity of composites significantly while with increasing the PP layers content from 10 vol.% to 20 vol.% decreases the stiffness, flexural rigidity and modulus of composites slightly. Results of impact test demonstrate the rolling process and increasing the volume percentage of the PP layers in sandwich composites cause a dramatic improve in impact absorbed energy of the PP/HA-PP sandwich composites. The results of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis confirm the rolling process increases the crystallinity and molecular alignment of polypropylene in composites. The results of mechanical tests and DSC analysis show the increasing of polypropylene molecular alignment by rolling process is the most dominant reason of improvement the mechanical properties of sandwich composites.

► Designing and manufacturing new structure PP/HA-PP sandwich composites. ► Designing a new method for making anisotropic polymer matrix biocomposites. ► Adding pure PP layers into PP/HA improves toughness of composites dramatically. ► Correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties of PP/HA-PP composites. ► Rolling process aligns PP molecules which affect composites mechanical behaviors.