Mechanical and thermal properties of chitosan‐filled polypropylene composites: The effect of acrylic acid

Abstract

The mechanical properties, morphology, and thermal properties of chitosan-filled polypropylene (PP) composites have been studied. The effect of the chemical modification of chitosan by acrylic acid treatment was also investigated. Results showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased but that the Young's modulus of the composites increased with increasing filler loading. Chemical modification of chitosan with acrylic acid improved the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composites but reduced the elongation at break. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of chitosan improved the thermal stability of the PP/chitosan composites as compared to that of neat PP. Chemical modification of chitosan had a positive effect on the thermal stability of the composites. This change was attributed to improvement of the interfacial adhesion between the chitosan and PP matrix due to formation of a covalent bond between chitosan and acrylic acid. Meanwhile, differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed that the addition of filler did not significantly change the melting temperature (T m ) of the PP/chitosan composites. The degree of crystallinity of the composites decreased with the addition of chitosan. At a similar chitosan loading, the chemically treated PP/chitosan composites exhibited higher crystallinity than the untreated composites and exhibited slightly increased T m . A scanning electron microscopy study of the tensile fracture surface of chemically treated PP/chitosan composites indicated that the presence of acrylic acid increased the interfacial interaction between chitosan and the polypropylene matrix.

Preparation and Characterization of Extruded Composites Based on Polypropylene and Chitosan Compatibilized with Polypropylene-Graft-Maleic Anhydride

“…The main signals for chitosan appear at 3352 cm −1 (O-H stretch), 2879 cm −1 (C-H stretching), 1650 cm −1 (C=O stretching, amide I), 1563 cm −1 (N-H bending vibrations), 1415 cm −1 (C-N stretching), and 1039 cm −1 (C-O-C signal) [2,23]. The spectra of the A9, B9, and C9 films (Figure 1D,E) present the spectral contributions of the PP, and chitosan; B9 and C9 also present the spectral contributions of PPgMA.…”

“…Polypropylene (PP) is the most important material among polyolefins used as a matrix in polymer composites because of its relatively superior properties such as high melting temperature (Tm), excellent mechanical and thermal properties, and low density [1,2]. However, the large production and use of synthetic polymers lead to the accumulation of waste plastic products, creating a serious source of pollution that affects the environment [3,4,5].…”

HDPE/Chitosan Blends Modified with Organobentonite Synthesized with Quaternary Ammonium Salt Impregnated Chitosan

“…The preparation of mixtures of non-bio-based polymer as PE and bio-based polymer as chitosan, represent a simple way to combine their best properties, in order to obtain materials with good morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties, and with a shorter degradation time when compared to non-bio-based polymers. This alternative could contribute to minimize environmental pollution, and, whereas chitosan has strong antimicrobial and antifungal activities, as reported by several researchers, the conduction of this study may enable the extension of PE applications for packaging material [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Chitosan/Polyvinylpyrrolidone/MCM‐41 Composite Hydrogel Films: Structural, Thermal, Surface, and Antibacterial Properties

“…The first weight loss is due to evaporation of the adsorbed water and moisture in the range 50–103 °C. The second weight loss corresponds decomposition of CH and PVP in the temperature range from 200 to 450 °C and 270–450 °C, respectively. Under similar conditions, pure MCM‐41 sample exhibited one mass loss between 25 °C and 100 °C attributed to molecular water adsorbed on the external surface of the material .…”