Abstract
In this study, composite materials from agricultural biomass and polypropylene (PP) thermoplastic were produced by melt compounding using a melt mixer. The chemical interaction of sugarcane bagasse (SCB)-PP and soft wood (SW)-PP composites and corresponding cellulose were verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cellulose composites were more crystalline than PP, trailed by PP/SCB and PP/SW composites. It was found that among composite materials, PP/SCB were least thermally stable compared to PP/SW. The addition of extracted cellulose decreased the thermal stability of PP/SCB composites at higher filler content due to poor interfacial bonding as compared to PP/SW composites. SEM results confirmed a rough morphology and the presence of many voids resulting from fibre pull-out in composites, especially for the ones with higher fibre content. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of both PP/SCB and PP/SW composites indicated improvement in the storage modulus compared with neat PP.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 401-409 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Plastics, Rubber and Composites |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 21 Oct 2019 |
Keywords
- Polypropylene
- cellulose
- composites
- soft wood
- sugarcane bagasse