DOI: 10.1177/026248938400300103 ISSN:
Fibre Reinforcement of Reaction Injection Moulded (RIM) Polyurethane Elastomers
M. Brenner, A.G. Gibson, J.B. Shortall- Organic Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
The effect of glass fibre addition, in the form of hammer milled or chopped strand fibres, on the mechanical properties of a commercial RIM polyurethane elastomer has been studied with particular emphasis on creep at elevated temperatures. The resultant reinforced reaction injection moulded (RRIM) composites are seen to have a broad fibre length distribution as well as a fibre orientation distribution. A statistical analysis of these two distributions is used in conjunction with the Cox-Krenchel model to enable composite performance to be predicted. A simple technique for predicting the creep behaviour of short fibre composites, first proposed by Darlington, 1 is applied to RRIM and is seen to be useful for such systems.