Abstract:

The physical modification of polypropylene (PP) fibres with inorganic additives ensures more intense anchoring of PP fibres in constructional composites, which leads to great improvement of the function of PP fibres in relation to the transmission and absorption of deformation energy in the formation and loading of composites. This work focuses on the preparation of PP fibres modified with untreated and treated CaCO₃ and SiO₂ for constructional composites. It investigated the effect of inorganic additives on the thermal, thermo-mechanical and sorption properties of these fibres. Melting and crystallisation temperatures as well as the melting and crystallisation enthalpies of PP and modified PP fibres depend on the additives and conditions of preparation of PP fibres applied. A lower   amount of inorganic additives improves and a higher amount of inorganic additives worsened the dimensional stability of the PP fibres observed. The addition of inorganic fillers increased the water vapour sorption of the modified PP fibres in comparison with the pure PP fibre.