Geometrical effects on fiber micro-structure variations and the influences on long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (FRT) parts

Due to its great potential and capability, the fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (FRT) material and technology have been applied into industry recently. However, due to the microstructures of fiber inside plastic matrix are very complex, they are not easy to be visualized. The connection from microstructures to the final shrinkage/warpage is far from our understanding. In this study, we have performed a benchmark with three standard specimens based on ASTM D638 where those specimens have different gate designs. Due to the geometrical effect, the warpage behaviors are quite different for those three specimens. Although we expect long fiber reinforced to enhance strength, it causes one specimen warped downward and bended inward, another warped upward, and the other slightly upward at the same time. The difference might be due to the interaction of the entrance effect of molten plastic with fiber content to cause high asymmetrical fiber orientation distribution (FOD). Moreover, the experimental study is also performed to validate the simulation results. From short shot testing to the warpage and bending measurement for each individual model, overall, the tendency for both numerical simulation and experimental results is in a reasonable agreement. However, some deviation still existed which needs for further study.