Influence of nonmetals recycled from waste printed circuit boards on flexural properties and fracture behavior of polypropylene composites

Flexural strength and flexural modulus of the composites can be successfully improved by filling nonmetals recycled from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) into polypropylene (PP). By using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the influence of nonmetals on fracture behavior of PP composites is investigated by in situ flexural test. Observation results show that the particles can effectively lead to mass micro cracks instead of the breaking crack. The process of the crack initiation, propagation and fiber breakage dissipate a great amount of energy. As a result, the flexural properties of the composites can be reinforced significantly. Results of the in situ SEM observation and analysis to the dynamic flexural process supply effective test evidence for the reinforcing mechanism of the nonmetals/PP composites on the basis of the energy dissipation theory.