Premium
Polypropylene composite reinforced with fibrillated curaua fiber and using maleic anhydride as coupling agent
Author(s) -
Nacas Amanda M.,
Silva Roberto L.,
Paoli Marco A.,
Spinacé Márcia A. S.
Publication year - 2017
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.44913
Subject(s) - materials science , polypropylene , maleic anhydride , composite material , extrusion , crystallinity , sonication , composite number , ultimate tensile strength , fiber , compatibilization , thermal stability , natural fiber , izod impact strength test , flexural strength , polymer blend , polymer , chemical engineering , copolymer , engineering
Curaua fibers (CF) were fibrillated using high‐intensity ultrasonication, which is fast and uses water as a solvent. The fibrillated fibers (CF f ) were used as reinforcement (20 wt %) in polypropylene composites processed by extrusion with or without 2 wt % of polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PPMA). Fibrillation promotes an increase from 11.3 to 33.8 in the aspect ratio of the fiber. Sonication caused extraction of lignin and a decrease in the degree of crystallinity of the CF. Extrusion of the composites causes no additional fibrillation of the CF. A composite reinforced with CF f had tensile and flexural strength of 24.9% and 51.5%, respectively, higher than that of pristine PP. The use of PPMA and CF f in the composite promotes a further increase of 30% and 50.5% in these parameters, respectively. A thermal analysis of the composites using CF f with or without PPMA showed similar behavior. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44913.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom