SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION FILM POLYPROPYLENE/RICE HUSK AND RICE HUSK ASH NANOCOMPOSITES

Agriculture wastes such as rice husk and rice husk ash have investigated as filler in film polypropylene composites. These wastes have potentiality as filler in polymer composites as reinforcement. In this study, the development of film polypropylene filled with rice husk and rice husk ask after preparing as nanofiller as the effect of filler loading has been done. Loading rice husk and rice husk ash into polypropylene matrix of 3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt% and compared with polypropylene which is not filled. Film polypropylene nanocomposites were analyzed the structure of functional group by FTIR, fracture surface by SEM, water absorption, tensile strength and elongation at break. The presence of silica in film composites has indicated at wavelength 1070 cm -1 in the form of the functional group of Si-O-Si. SEM image has shown that the films are not smooth when silica adding in the film composites, because of the aggregation of silica is not good dispersion in the polypropylene matrix. Water absorption of film polypropylene composites increases when increasing filler loading. The mechanical test has conducted the tensile strength of composites increase by increasing filler loading but elongation at break decrease by increasing filler loading. Polypropylene nanocomposites filled with rice husk ash have good performance than filled with rice husk because of chemical content in the filler loading.