This study investigated the effect of polycaprolactone (PCL) loading (0.5, 1, and 3 wt%) on the morphology, tensile strength, and thermal properties of microcellular injection molded PP/PCL and PPgMA/PCL composites. We used the filler, PCL, that is micro-material in size. Results showed that 0.5 wt% loading of PCL on foamed PP has the largest tensile strength. However, tensile strength was almost similar to that of PPgMA composites. Tensile strength depends on the filler dispersion in the matrix and cell size present on the foamed composites. Good dispersion resulted in good tensile strength. The elongation decreased on PP but increased on PPgMA composites. The highest degradation temperature for PP/PCL and PPgMA/PCL was noted for 3.0 wt% PCL loading and neat PPgMA respectively. Cell size decreased and cell density increased with the addition of PCL into the PP and PPgMA matrix.

Chitosan is a biodegradable material with good biocompatibility. It can be used in medicine, foodstuff, the chemical industry and heavy metal adsorption. In this study, an exothermic foaming agent (Azodicarbonamide) injection molded was added to polypropylene (PP), maleic anhydride (MA) grafted PP (PPgMA) and Chitosan composites. MA served as a compatibilizer due to the poor bonding between PP and chitosan. This study investigated the effects of the modifier and chitosan loading on the tensile strength, thermal properties and morphology in chemical foam injection-molded PP and PPgMA composites. The results showed that the tensile strength decreased with the addition of chitosan, but Young’s modulus increased with the added chitosan loading. The enhancement was significant for foam injection molding. The cell size decreased and the cell density increased with the addition of chitosan for the PP/PPgMA composites. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the thermal degradation could be decreased with the addition of chitosan in both the PP and PPgMA composites. The use of foamed chitosan composites will be further investigated in the removal of heavy metal in waste water.