The purpose of the current research was to investigate water/moisture absorption and associated thickness swelling and their rates in hybrid wood flour/E-glass fiber/propylene composite immersed in water, exposed to steam, and the influence of application of the glass fiber as well as maleic-anhydride-polypropylene (MAPP 2%) as coupling agent on those properties. The sample strips with 10 mm thickness and 70 mm width were made by using a laboratory twin-screw extruder. The specimens were immersed in water and exposed to steam for 4320 min to determine the water/moisture absorption and the thickness swelling as well as their rates in the composites. Results revealed that application of the glass fibers increased in the water/moisture absorption significantly in the hybrid composites due to formed micro-gaps in interfaces between wood flour and the glass fibers. However, application of the coupling agent (MAPP 2%) significantly reduced the micro-gaps and diminished the water/moisture absorption as well as the related thickness swelling in the hybrid composites.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.