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Influence of varying fiber lengths on mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of MA‐ g ‐PP compatibilized and chemically modified short pineapple leaf fiber reinforced polypropylene composites
Author(s) -
Chattopadhyay Sanjay K.,
Khandal R. K.,
Uppaluri Ramagopal,
Ghoshal Aloke K.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.30252
Subject(s) - vicat softening point , materials science , composite material , fiber , polypropylene , flexural strength , flexural modulus , maleic anhydride , izod impact strength test , natural fiber , scanning electron microscope , ultimate tensile strength , polymer , softening point , copolymer
Environmentally benign, low cost and abundantly available short pineapple leaf fibers (PALF), found mostly in the Tropical rain forest climates are ideal materials for manufacture of thermoplastic polymer‐matrix composites. Here, mechanical and thermal properties of composites of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA‐ g ‐PP) and chemically modified short PALF are studied as a function of different fiber lengths at 10 vol % fibers loading with fiber orientation in the longitudinal direction. The effects of fiber lengths and fiber loading on the morphological properties are assessed via observations by scanning electron microscopy. Fiber length of 6 mm oriented longitudinally at 10 vol % fibers loading in PP is the optimum and recommended composition, where 73% increase in impact properties, 37% increase in the flexural modulus, 33% increase in flexural strength, and 14% increase in vicat softening temperature are observed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009