Thermo Stamp Press- Mold Apparatus was designed and constructed of two stainless steel plates with length 20 and width 15 cm, operating at different temperature from 140-200 C0. The thermo press-mold was used to produce sheet composite samples composed of low density polyethylene and matt, short E-glass fiber.
The effects of mat/ short fiber contents and thermo press mold operating variables on the tensile modulus, tensile modulus strength, and ductility were investigated. The tensile modulus increased with short fiber weight percent up to 20 wt% as residual fiber content, and had a value of 471.4 MPa, then slightly constant due to bad wettability and poor distribution/dispersion of fibers in the LDPE matrix. But the tensile modulus increased with mold temperature and pressing time up to 200C0, 45 min; respectively, and had a value of 598 MPa.
On the other hand, ductility as percentage elongation-at-break decreased significantly at higher mold temperature, pressing time, and fiber content.
Operating variables of the thermo press mold apparatus were found to affect the tensile properties of LDPE/glass fiber composites by affecting the interfacial adhesion between the two components. This effect was clear from the analyzed data of the modulus strength efficiency factor KE.