Search

Hybrid reinforced polypropylene composites (PPCs) were fabricated via injection molding, and tensile tests were conducted. The results showed that the addition of cellulose nano-fibers (CNFs) and maleic-anhydride-modified polypropylene enhanced the PPC elastic constant and tensile strength. The nonlinear properties of the composites were analyzed via two-step asymptotic homogenization. After confirming that the numerical simulation can predict the experimental results well, a new strain-energy-based indicator was introduced to quantify the filler addition effect. The mechanical properties of PPCs can be linearly approximated using the indicator, named filler contribution proportion, and a simple composite design based on this relationship was proposed. As verification examples, the elastic constant and maximum tensile stress of unknown PPCs were predicted within a 5% error. • Hybrid reinforced PP composites with talc and CNF were produced by injection molding. • CNF and MAPP effectively enhanced PP-composite elastic constant and tensile strength. • Two-step homogenization revealed nonlinear properties of PP/Talc/CNF composites. • Filler addition effect on mechanical properties was quantified by strain energy proportion. • Proposed composite design procedure predicted mechanical properties within 5% error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]