Comparison of the physicochemical, rheological, and mechanical properties of core and surface of polypropylene composite (GF50‐PP) plate fabricated by thermocompression process

Abstract The microstructural properties and rheological behavior of the long‐glass‐fiber‐reinforced polypropylene (GF50‐PP) composite produced by the compression molding process were studied and modeled. Composite plates of GF50‐PP with different thicknesses of 4, 12, and 24 mm have been used to study the effect of glass fiber distribution and various thicknesses on the properties of the core and the surface of the composites. Physicochemical characteristics and rheological behavior of the surface and the core of the plates have been compared. The effect of material sampling area on glass transition temperature, melting temperature, crystallization temperature, degree of crystallinity (X_c), and viscosity were analyzed. Mechanical tests have been carried out to assess the impact of the process parameters on the mechanical characteristics. The results showed that in the compression molding process, three competing parameters should be considered: the X_c, fiber accumulation, and presence of porosity. One can note that this study is applicable to present the relation or interaction between process, microstructure, and properties of the GF50‐PP composite prepared by the thermocompression method.