Effects of Coupling Agent and Nanoclay on the Mechanical, Morphological and Dimensional Stability of Natural Fiber/Polypropylene Composites

Haydar Zaman; Ruhul A. Khan

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposite is made up of polymer as a matrix ingredient and reinforcement ingredient as a filler in the form of nanometer particles. These ingredients have dissimilar physical and chemical features and are mixed to generate sole features of nanocomposites. Polypropylene (PP) was nominated as the polymer matrix ingredient. Reinforcement ingredients used include organically modified montmorillonite with natural fiber. Various composites based on polypropylene, natural fiber, and organically modified montmorillonite were manufactured by melt mixing method followed by injection molded in the presence and absence of coupling agents. The emphasis of this research is to assess the effects of chemical treatments (polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride and styrene ethylene-co-butylene styrene block copolymer grafted maleic anhydride) and the organically modified montmorillonite with natural fibers on the mechanical features, morphological, and dimensional stability of natural fiber- plastic composites made from PP. Adding polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride to natural fiber increased the tensile strength and impact strength of the natural fiber-plastic composite; but the tensile modulus stayed basically unchanged. On the contrary, the influence of styrene ethylene-co-butylene styrene block copolymer grafted maleic anhydride was a large effect on impact strength but the modulus was reduced in addition to a small effect on tensile strength. On adding both coupling agents to the natural fiber-plastic composite, the impact strength increased, but the tensile strength was not decreased. The inclusion of organically modified montmorillonite rises the tensile modulus of natural fiber-plastic composites without decreasing the impact strength, the use of three additives gives the possibility to create natural fiber-plastic composites with high modulus and high impact strength. Keywords Nanocomposite, nanoclay, natural fiber, polypropylene, coupling agents, mechanical properties

Effects of Coupling Agent and Nanoclay on the Mechanical, Morphological and Dimensional Stability of Natural Fiber/Polypropylene Composites

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