This article presents the impact of the short glass fiber incorporation in rigid PVC compound through conventional processing techniques currently employed in the Brazilian industry. It were studied the influences of a) glass fiber geometry (E type); b) glass fiber content; c) titanium dioxide content; and d) processing temperature in the physical and mechanical properties. The adhesion conditions between polymeric matrix and glass fiber was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cost-benefit relation of composites was evaluated using materials index technique for mechanical conditions found in pressurized water pipes (cylinder with internal pressure) and in building construction profiles (beam loaded in bending). The results attained suggested that, in some cases, the mechanical properties enhancement (such as the increase of 45% in the modulus of elasticity for composites containing 20% of glass fiber) and the processing techniques required to produce it can present an interesting cost-benefit relation.
Composites; PVC; poly (vinyl chloride); fiber glass; mechanical reinforcement; material index
