| Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 355, 2026
4th International Conference on Sustainable Technologies and Advances in Automation, Aerospace and Robotics (STAAAR 2025)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 02010 | |
| Number of page(s) | 13 | |
| Section | Additive Manufacturing and Sustainable Materials | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202635502010 | |
| Published online | 03 March 2026 | |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202635502010
A Lightweight Advanced Composite System: Polypropylene Fabric Reinforced Expandable Polystyrene
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Agni College of Technology, Chennai- 600130, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Aerospace Engineering, Agni College of Technology, Chennai- 600130, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Agni College of Technology, Chennai- 600130, Tamil Nadu, India
4 School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Bhopal University, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh- 466114, India
* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published online: 3 March 2026
Abstract
Polymer matrix composite (PMCs) have the primary strengths of high specific strength, low density, and corrosion and abrasion resistance. Their performance is largely determined by the effectiveness of the transfer of loads between fiber reinforcement and polymer matrix. To produce a lightweight composite material, a polypropylene (PP) fabric was reinforced into an expandable polystyrene (EPS) matrix with gaseous softening and processing ingredient of gasoline. A composite was developed using the reinforcement in order to determine the effect of polypropylene reinforcement on the mechanical and physical behavior of an EPS-based matrix. The mechanical characterization tests such as tensile , flammability and hardness tests were performed in this research. It is found that besides increasing the surface hardness, the presence of polypropylene textiles also enhances the structural integrity, tensile responsiveness, as well as flame- resistance characteristics in the EPS matrix. The suggested work recognizes the potential of the PP-fabric-reinforced EPS composites as an example of a low-density material that can be used in the lightweight structural and insulating areas.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2026
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