Abstract
Short-fiber-reinforced plastics are becoming increasingly important as structural materials in lightweight construction, particularly in the automotive sector. In addition to the advantages of weight reduction and CO2 savings, the circular economy is coming into focus as demands for the use of recycled materials increase. This study investigates the influence of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content on the fatigue behavior of short-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. A 40 wt.-% short-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene with two different levels of recycled content from consumer waste was examined: 10 % and 40 % PCR content. For this purpose, test specimens were milled from injection-molded plates both along and across the flow direction. Tensile and fatigue tests were conducted for longitudinal and transverse fiber orientations. Subsequently, the fracture surfaces were examined fractographically. The results show that the elastic modulus and tensile strength are halved when the orientation changes from longitudinal to transverse, with transverse specimens exhibiting more brittle material behavior. As the PCR content increases, the mechanical properties elastic modulus and tensile strength decrease, while the elongation at break increases. In terms of fatigue behavior, there is a 14 % reduction in the allowable stress amplitude at 10^6 cycles from 10 % to 40 % PCR. The slopes of the SN-curves are flatter for longitudinal fiber orientation than for specimens with transverse orientation. Similarly, the allowable stress amplitudes for transverse fiber orientation were lower compared to longitudinal orientation. The influence of mean stress was found to be greater in the transverse specimens. Fractographic analysis indicates differences in the matrix of 10 % PCR and 40 % PCR, but no obvious recycled material inclusions were observed. In addition, similar fracture mechanisms were observed at different R-ratios. These findings enable more reliable design of plastic components containing PCR content for technical applications and contribute to the establishment of a closed-loop circular economy.
| Translated title of the contribution | Influence of Recycled Content on the Fatigue Behavior of Discontinuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics |
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| Original language | German |
| Qualification | Dipl.-Ing. |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisors/Advisors |
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| Award date | 26 Jun 2026 |
| Publication status | Published - 2026 |
Bibliographical note
embargoed until 15-04-2031UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Keywords
- Fatigue Behavior
- Recyclate
- Short Glass Fiber
- Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics
- Polypropylene
- Post-Consumer Recycling
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