[01] Ayman M. M. Abdelhaleem, Mechanical Design and Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

The main objective of this research is to study the effect of adding glass fibers, GF, into recycled polypropylene, RPP, using the injection moulding process. The GF were mixed mechanically with the RPP in 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight. The mechanical properties of recycled polypropylene reinforced with glass fibers were investigated using tensile, impact, wear, and hardness tests. The melt flow indexes (MFI) of the recycled polypropylene with and without the glass fibers contents are examined. The results showed that, by adding GF to the RPP by 10%, 20%, and 30%wt to the RPP, the tensile strength are increased from 21 N/mm² to 26 N/mm² (i.e. 23.8%), 25 N/mm² (i.e. 19%), 29 N/mm² (i.e. 38%) and to 32 N/mm² (i.e. 52.38%) respectively. Both of the modulus of elasticity and the hardness were increased as the fibers contents were increased in the RPP. Impact un-notched strength decreased with increasing of the GF in the RPP. The wear test results showed that, for load of 1500g the weight loss was decreased for RPP with 20% GF to be 0.0357g, when compared with 0.0548g for RPP, i.e. 34.8% improving against wear. As the GF was increased in the RPP matrix, the MFI was reduced. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations of the worn surfaces of the RPP material with GF detects interference and the adhesion between the RPP and GF which would lead to the improving of both of the tensile strength and the wear resistance.

Polypropylene, Glass Fibres, Mechanical Properties, Wear Resistance, Melt Flow Index

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