Polypropylene/bagasse fiber composites were prepared by compounding polypropylene (PP) with bagasse fibers as reinforcing filler. Surfaces of fibers were modified through the use of silane coupling agents (Vinyltrimethoxysilane and g-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane). The fiber coating was performed by mixing of silane with fibers and cured through microwave oven in presence of catalyst. It was found that modification of surface fiber will change the physical, mechanical, morphological, and rheological properties of composite. It was observed from scanning electron microscopy that fiber adhesion to matrix has been improved and so as dispersion. Addition of fibers increases the melt viscosity in unmodified fibers but reduced the melt viscosity for modified fibers and even the viscosity is lower at higher loading compared with unmodified fibers. The tensile strength and tensile modulus increased in modified fibers compared with the unmodified on the same loading, but elongation at break decreased. The effect of coupling agent on properties of filled PP depend on the content of coupling agents and optimum amount was achieve through measurement of water absorption. Two types of coupling agents were used, one as A-171 [CH 2 = =CHSi (OCH 3 ) 3 ] and second one as A-187 [CH 2 OCHCH 2 O (CH 2 ) 3 Si(OCH 3 )], the first one shows better adhesion to the fibers and improvements in mechanical properties are much better compared with the second one. POLYM. COMPOS.,
Nanocomposites based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and nano perlite were prepared at various perlite contents via melt mixing in a twin-screw extruder. Rheological measurements, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) tests were carried out on the nanocomposites. The results confirmed the establishment of interactions between LDPE matrix and treated nano perlite. In addition, dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability of the treated nanocomposites were improved.
Polymer–wood fibre composites utilize wood fibres as reinforcing filler in the polymer matrix and are advantageous over the pure polymers in terms of the materials cost and some mechanical properties such as modulus and strength. The scope of the present paper is to study the prospects of using wheat straw fibres as a reinforcing filler in polypropylene (PP). Untreated and silane-treated fibres having a variety of fibre lengths were used at various fibre contents to reinforce PP. Composites were tested for their mechanical, thermal and rheological properties, and the assessment of the adhesion at the interface was made via observations by SEM microscopy. The results showed that for untreated fibres, an increase in fibre content up to 20% (wt) led to an increase in the tensile strength of the composite. However, beyond this amount, tensile strength decreased. On the other hand, the tensile modulus increased due to higher stiffness of the fibres. By using silane treated fibres, both tensile strength and modulus increased, but the viscosity was reduced because of better dispersion of the treated fibres. By the addition of nano-clay, the mechanical properties of the composites, compared to the pure polymer, increased up to a certain fibre content, and after that the trend was reversed.
Treatment of fibers through polymerization compounding not onlyincreases the adhesion between polymer and fibers but also helps to disperse fibers into a viscous matrix with existing equipment. The rheological and mechanical properties of polyethylene composites containing treated wood fibers were studied. Polymerization compounding (PC) was used to graft polyethylene chains on the Kraft wood fibers. Composites containing 20 wt. % treated wood fibers were found to have a Young modulus 37 % larger than that of the polyethylene alone. Scanning electron micrographs suggest a strong interaction between the polymer and the fibers. The complex viscosity of composites containing up to 10 % treated fibers was found to be smaller than that of the polymer matrix and considerably smaller than that of composites containing untreated fibers. The elastic characteristic time based on the ratio of the storage and loss modulus was found be approximately independent of the fiber content and of surface treatment.
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