Materials 2009, 2, 2046-2094; doi:10.3390/ma2042046 OPEN ACCESS materials ISSN 1996-1944 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials Review Fracture Toughness of Polypropylene-Based Particulate Composites David Arencón and José Ignacio Velasco * Centre Català del Plàstic, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Edifici Vapor Universitari, Colom 114, 08222, Terrassa, Spain; E-Mail:
[email protected] (D.A.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected] (J.I.V.); Tel.: +34 937 837 022; Fax: +34 937 841 827. Received: 27 October 2009; in revised form: 24 November 2009 / Accepted: 27 November 2009 / Published: 30 November 2009 Abstract: The fracture behaviour of polymers is strongly affected by the addition of rigid particles. Several features of the particles have a decisive influence on the values of the fracture toughness: shape and size, chemical nature, surface nature, concentration by volume, and orientation. Among those of thermoplastic matrix, polypropylene (PP) composites are the most industrially employed for many different application fields. Here, a review on the fracture behaviour of PP-based particulate composites is carried out, considering the basic topics and experimental techniques of Fracture Mechanics, the mechanisms of deformation and fracture, and values of fracture toughness for different PP composites prepared with different particle scale size, either micrometric or nanometric. Keywords: polypropylene; composites; fracture toughness 1. Introduction Particulate filled polymers are used in very large quantities in all kinds of applications and despite the overwhelming interest in advanced composite materials, considerable research and development is done on particulate filled polymers even today. Fillers increase stiffness and heat deflection temperatures, decrease shrinkage and improve the appearance of composites [1–3].