Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites from glass/polyphenylene sulphide commingled fabric

Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites possess excellent toughness, impact resistance and damage tolerance in comparison to their thermoset counterparts. Nevertheless, processing of thermoplastic composites is complex and expensive. In this investigation, commingled fabrics of E-glass and polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) are stacked and consolidated to produce composite laminates through an energy-efficient facile vacuum-forming technique. Laminates were fabricated and tested according to the requirements of ASTM specifications. Their void content has been evaluated, and interface morphology has been studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Laminates were also subjected to evaluation of tensile, flexural, compressive, interlaminar shear, in-plane shear and impact properties. Dielectric properties such as permittivity, dissipation factor and transmission loss in the 8.2–12.4 GHz frequency region have also been studied. The results are compared with data of E-glass/PPS composites that are manufactured using mainstream methods, and it is found that this technique of manufacturing thermoplastic composites is simple and energy efficient and in turn can replace thermoset composites in various sectors.