PPSS: new thermoplastic for high performance composite applications

The usage of actual reinforced thermoplastic composites for structural aircraft applications is very limited because materials with higher mechanical and physical properties are needed. In the recent years, aircraft manufacturers have requirements for new continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites with a significant improved performance/costs ratio for new, structural aircraft applications. That is why a new affordable reinforced composite with a poly(phenylene sulphide sulphone) (PPSS) matrix, presenting high mechanical and thermal resistance properties, is introduced in this paper. Mechanical characterisations have been performed and microscopy analyses have also been achieved to control the internal structure of the composite. It was found that PPSS reinforced material has high mechanical and thermal properties, but low chemical resistance.