3. Fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

In this section, we will study the crystalline morphology of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites.

Thermoset polymer matrix composites are widely used in many aeronautical, automotive and shipbuilding applications, but their use is tending to decline in favor of thermoplastic matrix composites due to some of the drawbacks of the thermoset polymer itself used for the matrix, prior to polymerization: they are difficult to store, as they cross-link and harden gradually, whereas thermoplastics have the advantage that they can be remelted and recycled, and their structure can be controlled by the thermal cycle during shaping. This structure largely determines their performance, which is also crucially dependent on the quality of the interface between matrix and reinforcement. Determining the crystalline structure in the matrix and at the interface is therefore of...