Mechanical properties, thermal, and crystallization behavior of polypropylene composites reinforced by starch and wasted cotton cloth

Abstract

In this study, wasted cotton cloth was bonded with soluble starches as an adhesive, then dried, cut into fiber fragments and filled into polypropylene (PP) to achieve resource efficiency. The mechanical, thermal, and crystallization properties of the composites were characterized. The results indicated that with the addition of wasted cotton cloth treated without or with silane coupling agent (RC or TRC), PP composites' tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength have been improved. The heat distortion temperatures increased slowly, indicating that wasted cotton cloth filled into PP can be turned back into useful items without degradation of PP composites exhibited. Thus, it is a good avenue for the utilization of an otherwise wasted cotton cloth resource. The crystallization activation energy, nucleation constant, and folding surface free energy of PP were markedly reduced in PP/RC composites and its compatibilized composites. The value of F(T) gradually increased with the increasing relative degree of crystallinity. The addition of wasted cotton cloth could significantly reduce the spherulitic size of PP.

Thermoplastic polyurethane composites prepared from mechanochemically activated waste cotton fabric and reclaimed polyurethane foam

“…Nowadays, most WCF is landfilled or incinerated 11. Efficient technology for the recycling of WCF is still under development 12–14. WCF is neither meltable nor soluble in most common solvents because of its large amount of intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds and its high degree of crystallinity in structure, which destroys its processability 15…”