Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE Papermaking-inspired wet dispersion and hot pressing of basalt fiber/polyphenylene sulfide composite sheets, together with the investigated processing variables and mechanical responses.

ABSTRACT
Basalt fiber (BF)-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composite sheets were fabricated by a papermaking-inspired wet-dispersion and hot-pressing process. The effects of BF content, initial fiber length, coupled BF dispersion concentration/wet-felt stacking, and expansion ratio were evaluated in separate experimental series. Among the tested BF contents, the 50 wt% BF group showed the highest measured flexural strength, flexural modulus, and non-notched impact strength, reaching 230.76 MPa, 19208.50 MPa, and 86.21 kJ/m2, respectively. In the fiber-length series, the 9 mm BF group showed the highest measured values. In the coupled concentration–stacking series, the 1 g/L single-wet-felt condition showed the highest measured values, although concentration and wet-felt number varied simultaneously and their effects could not be separated. These conditions were not combined and re-tested as a single formulation. Assuming constant mass and unchanged in-plane dimensions, the geometrically estimated relative-density reduction reached 80% at an expansion ratio of 5. SEM observations revealed local fracture features, including fiber fracture, pull-out, debonding, and local fiber–matrix contact. The results demonstrate the feasibility of wet-dispersed BF/PPS composite sheets and clarify the effects of processing variables on mechanical response and expansion behavior.