A Lightweight Advanced Composite System: Polypropylene Fabric Reinforced Expandable Polystyrene

Polymer matrix composite (PMCs) have the primary strengths of high specific strength, low density, and corrosion and abrasion resistance. Their performance is largely determined by the effectiveness of the transfer of loads between fiber reinforcement and polymer matrix. To produce a lightweight composite material, a polypropylene (PP) fabric was reinforced into an expandable polystyrene (EPS) matrix with gaseous softening and processing ingredient of gasoline. A composite was developed using the reinforcement in order to determine the effect of polypropylene reinforcement on the mechanical and physical behavior of an EPS-based matrix. The mechanical characterization tests such as tensile , flammability and hardness tests were performed in this research. It is found that besides increasing the surface hardness, the presence of polypropylene textiles also enhances the structural integrity, tensile responsiveness, as well as flame- resistance characteristics in the EPS matrix. The suggested work recognizes the potential of the PP-fabric-reinforced EPS composites as an example of a low-density material that can be used in the lightweight structural and insulating areas.