Effects of Compatibilizers on Properties of Polypropylene/Bamboo Fiber Composites

Abstract

Bamboo fiber (BF) reinforced thermoplastic material composites were prepared in this study. polypropylene (PP) was compounded with bamboo fiber in a twin screw extruder at bamboo fiber contents of 0-30 wt% with polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) as modifying agent. PP/bamboo fiber composites were to dumbbell specimens by injection molding process. The effect of bamboo fiber contents on properties of the composites was investigated. Tensile and storage modulus of the composites increased when increasing bamboo fiber contents. It can be noted that bamboo fiber promoted crystallization and enhanced crystallinity of PP in the composites, which improved the composites mechanical performance. On the contrary, tensile strength of the PP/BF composites was almost unchanged. Nevertheless, it was considering that the level of interaction between bamboo fiber and PP could be enhanced at higher contents of PE-g-MA. It can be noted that fracture toughness of the PP/BF composites was maintained at the BF contents of 10 wt%, which was attributed to the good interaction between bamboo fiber and PP matrix with the addition of PE-g-MA.

The Effects of Alkalization on Mechanical and Physical Properties of Bamboo-Polypropylene Composite

“…The enhancement in the bending properties of composites with alkali treated fibers was also observed by other researchers [2][3][4][5]. Phuong et al [6], mentioned that the percentage of extracted components depended significantly on alkaline concentration; the greater the alkaline concentration, the higher the percentage of loss of extracted components, such as partially dissolving the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in bamboo fibers.…”

“…Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composed of fibers that function as reinforcement in the polymer matrix [1]. Biodegradable plastics and bio-based polymer, produced from renewable resources are sustainable and eco-friendly products that potentially can compete and capture current composite market which is dominated by petroleumbased products [2]. The biological fiber component of the FRP can be from wood saw dust or other cellulosic fibers such as bamboo, oil palm, rice straw, rice husk, and coconut coir.…”

“…Bamboo, the largest member of the grass family, is found in abundance in Asia and South America [2]. It takes only a few years to grow to maturity.…”

Tensile and flexural properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites: A review

“…107 The compatibilizer increases the tensile strength and tensile modulus of polypropylene treated bamboo fiber reinforced polymer composites, due to increased adhesion between the fiber and matrix. 108 The MAPP-coupled lantana fiber reinforced polypropylene composite showed 41.81% increment in tensile strength and 15.38% increment in tensile modulus as compared to uncoupled composite. 85 The addition of metal oxide (ZrO 2 ) to jute fiber reinforced polyester composite enhances the tensile strength (44.44%) and modulus (80%) significantly.…”

Polypropylene biocomposites reinforced with bamboo particles and ultrafine bamboo‐char: The effect of blending ratio

“…Extensive researches on chemical strategies for surface modifications including mercerization, acetylization, benzoylation, silyation, and maleation have been reported recently . Boonlertsamut et al prepared PP/bamboo fibers composites using a twin‐screw extruder with bamboo fibers contents of 0–30 wt%. Linear low‐density PP grafted maleic anhydride and found that bamboo fibers promoted crystallization and mechanical performances of the composites.…”