Fiber-reinforced polymers pultrusion

Pultrusion Forming method in which a bundle of fibers of glass or other suitable support material in a mobile plastic matrix is drawn through a die to form an fiber-reinforced polymer composite structure the shape of which is determined hy the die profile. 

Pultrusion. Another method by which thermoplastic fiber-reinforced polymers are produced is pultrusion. In pultrusion, an appropriately designed bundle of continuous fiber strands is drawn through a die along with a molten thermoplastic matrix material. The die serves to consolidate the material combination, and as the matrix material solidifies on exiting the die, a continuous fiber-reinforced structure is produced. Examples of pultruded products include fiberglass rods and reinforced water hoses. 

Methven, J. M., Ghaffariyan, S. R. and Abidin, A. Z. (2000), Manufacture of fiber-reinforced composites by microwave assisted pultrusion . Polymer Composites, 21, 586-594. 

Many different thermosetting polymers are used in pultrusion, eg, polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, and urethane. Reinforcements must be in a continuous form such as rovings, tows, mats, fabrics, and tapes. Glass fibers are the low cost, dominant composition, but a ram id and carbon fibers are also used. 

Similar to the described combination of pultrusion and extrusion is the so-called pull-extrusion process, which is illustrated in Fig. 8.15. It enables the production of products which are reinforced with both continuous and discontinuous fibers in one profile. A thermoplastic polymer is molten in an extrusion unit. In a first step, the extrudate is combined with a continuous fiber strand. In the second step the remaining polymer is added with... 

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