Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch—Polypropylene Composites: Effect of Adding ENGAGE^TM 7467

Abstract

Composites of polypropylene and oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) were prepared by melt blending using ENGAGE™ 7467 (polyolefin elastomer) as an impact modifier. ENGAGE™ 7467 is a polyolefin elastomer. The mechanical properties and morphology of composites have been studied. Tensile tests showed that addition of ENGAGE™ 7467 improved the elasticity of the composite, thus reducing the stiffness of the composites but no significant changes on tensile strength. The impact strength was also improved with the addition of ENGAGE™ 7467, but no significant effect on flexural test was observed. This result indicates that the ENGAGE™ 7467 forms a flexible interphase around the OPEFB particles, giving the composites better impact strength for both notched and unnotched samples without degrading the fiber and matrix interaction. The ENGAGE™ 7467 composites characterized using Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy showed that there is no shifting of peaks, indicating that the addition of ENGAGE™ 7467 does not affect the interaction between matrix and filler.

Oil Palm Mesocarp Fiber as New Lignocellulosic Material for Fabrication of Polymer/Fiber Biocomposites

“…Utilization of natural fibers in composite preparation offer several advantages compared to those of synthetic fibers which include low density, low cost, renewability, and biodegradability [4,5]. Natural fibers like kenaf [3,6], jute [2,5], coir [7], silk [8], bamboo [9], sisal [10], and oil palm empty fruit bunch [11][12][13] have been extensively studied for fabrication of polymer/fiber composites. Rozman et al [11] reported that incorporation of the OPEFBF into polypropylene matrix resulted in an improved tensile modulus but reduced in tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength with increasing fiber content.…”

“…Additionally, the utilization of these fibers in biocomposites preparation will be an added-value of oil palm biomass in the future. Other authors have reported in the past the blending of OPEFBF with high density polyethylene [11], polypropylene [12] and polycaprolactone [13] to fabricate polymer/fiber composites but, so far, there is no literature on reinforcing PBS. In addition, the utilization of OPMF in fabrication of polymer/fiber composite has not been reported previously.…”

Flexural Properties of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Resin Reinforced with Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibers: A Preliminary Finding

“…In this study, the null hypothesis that OPEFB fibers would not influence the flexural properties of PMMA was rejected. The mean flexural strength of all three experimental groups (C, D, E) showed improvement when compared to that of conventional acrylic resin (group A), with statistically significant improvement in groups C and E. A reason for the improvement could be because the modulus of elasticity of OPEFB fibers is very high, and thus they can absorb most stresses without deformation . This will also result in a marked increase in the mean flexural modulus of the experimental groups when compared to the control groups.…”

Biomaterial from Oil Palm Waste: Properties, Characterization and Applications

“…Utilization of natural fiber like oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) in polymer composites have some advantages such as low density, low cost, renewability, and biodegradability [51,52]. The use of biomass from oil palm wastes has been demonstrated at the laboratory and preproduction levels as alternative raw wood materials for biocomposite production, for example particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and others [53].…”