Home-made single screw extruder was designed and constructed with screw

length to diameter ratio 20:1 operating at different screw speeds ranging from

7-28 rpm and at different temperatures. The extruder was used to produce rod

composite samples composed of low density polyethylene and short E-glass fibre. The

effects of fibre contents and extruder operating variables on the tensile modulus and

ductility were investigated. The tensile modulus increased with fibre weight percent up

to 10.52 wt% as residual fibre content (20 wt% prepared sample before processing)

and had a value of 827 MPa, then slightly decreased to lower values due to bad wettability

and poor distribution/dispersion of fibres in the LDPE matrix. The clear

decrease in fibre content after processing (residual fibre content) which is about 40-

55% is due to the sticking of fibres in hopper or in the different extruder zones. On the

other hand, ductility as percentage elongation-at-break decreased significantly at low

fibre concentration then decreased in lower rate at higher fibre contents. Operating

variables of the extruder were found to affect the tensile properties of LDPE/glass fibre

composites by affecting the interfacial adhesion between the two components. This

.