Evaluation of the Bending Strength, Impact Strength, and Morphological Properties of Wheat Straw Fiber/Paper Mill Sludge/Polypropylene Composites

Abstract

Composite production of polypropylene polymers was considered in this work as the matrix, filled with the fiber of wheat straw and paper mill sludge; different ratios were evaluated relative to their potential as reinforcement materials. Maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAAP) was used at 3% by weight. The bending modulus of elasticity of the composites significantly increased with both types of filler. The highest bending modulus of the composites was found with 40% of paper mill sludge. Using 40% wheat straw fiber decreased bending strength, but the addition of paper mill sludge increased bending strength. The highest bending strength of the composites related to polypropylene/10% of wheat straw fiber and 30% of paper mill sludge. In terms of impact strength, the use of paper mill sludge had a higher impact on strength than wheat straw fiber composites. The inclusion of MAPP improved the mechanical properties of all composites. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the composite paper mill sludge improved the adhesion and dispersion of the filler (paper mill sludge/fiber paper instead of wheat) in the matrix.

Application of Physical Methods for the Detection of a Thermally Degraded Recycled Material in Plastic Parts Made of Polypropylene Copolymer

“…In the parts with the degraded recycled material making up 10 wt.%, the flexural strength decreased by almost 12% (see Figure 18 ) and the modulus of elasticity by as much as 22% (see Figure 19 ). This behavior was in agreement with data observed by Khademieslam et al [ 28 ] and Hamada et al [ 29 ].…”

“…In the parts with the degraded recycled material making up 10 wt.%, the flexural strength decreased by almost 12% (see Figure 18) and the modulus of elasticity by as much as 22% (see Figure 19). This behavior was in agreement with data observed by Khademieslam et al [28] and Hamada et al [29]. When comparing the values for the tensile modulus (see Figure 11) and flexural modulus (see Figure 19), it is obvious that to detect the recycled material in the polymer, it is more suitable to monitor the modulus of elasticity in bending, where the decrease was detected as soon as the recycled material accounted for 10 wt.% of the polypropylene, while the tensile modulus decreased only in the case of ejections where the recycled material made up 30 wt.%.…”

“…In the parts with the degraded recycled material making up 10 wt.%, the flexural strength decreased by almost 12% (see Figure 18) and the modulus of elasticity by as much as 22% (see Figure 19). This behavior was in agreement with data observed by Khademieslam et al [28] and Hamada et al [29]. The results of these properties clearly show that in the short term, the addition of recycled material to the virgin material does not change the tensile properties but significantly affects the life of the part.…”

The effects of chemical treatment on the structural and thermal, physical, and mechanical and morphological properties of roselle fiber‐reinforced vinyl ester composites

“…Roselle fibers were immersed into three concentrations of NaOH (3%, 6%, 9%) for 2 h at room temperature in a basin. For the silane coupling agent treatment, the 6% NaOH‐treated fibers were further immersed in silane solutions for 24 h. After the chemical treatment of the roselle fiber, the fibers were thoroughly washed with running water and dried in oven at 104°C for 48 h to eliminate the moisture effect of the fibers .…”

The Influence of the Use of Technological Waste and the Simulation of Material Lifetime on the Unnotched Impact Strength of Two Different Polymer Composites

“…For the purposes of the experimental measurement, we used an impact hammer with a nominal energy of 5 J for the PBT material before exposure to elevated temperature. A hammer with a nominal energy of 2 J was used for the PBT after exposure and the PPA before and after exposure [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”