Interfacial Properties of Bamboo Fiber-Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Composites by Different Methods for Adding Nano Calcium Carbonate.

Cuicui Wang,Xian Yu,Ge Wang,Shuangbao Zhang,Haitao Cheng,Lee Smith

doi:10.3390/polym9110587

Abstract

The focus of this study was to observe the effect of nano calcium carbonate (CaCO3) modification methods on bamboo fiber (BF) used in BF-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites manufactured by extrusion molding. Two methods were used to introduce the nano CaCO3 into the BF for modification; the first was blending modification (BM) and the second was impregnation modification (IM). In order to determine the effects of the modification methods, the water absorption, surface free energy and interfacial properties of the unmodified composites were compared to those of the composites made from the two modification methods. The results revealed that the percentage increase in the weight of the composite treated by nano CaCO3 decreased and that of the IMBF/HDPE composite was the lowest over the seven months of time. The results obtained by the acid-base model according to the Lewis and Owens-Wendt- Rabel-Kaelble (OWRK) equations indicated that the surface energy of the composites was between 40 and 50 mJ/m2. When compared to the control sample, the maximum storage modulus (E′max) of the BMBF/HDPE and IMBF/HDPE composites increased 1.43- and 1.53-fold, respectively. The values of the phase-to-phase interaction parameter B and the k value of the modified composites were higher than those of the unmodified composites, while the apparent activation energy Ea and interface parameter A were lower in the modified composites. It can be concluded that nano CaCO3 had an effect on the interfacial properties of BF-reinforced HDPE composites, and the interface bonding between IMBF and HDPE was greatest among the composites.

Highlights

Bamboo fiber (BF) has become an ecologically viable substitute for wood fiber and presents great potential for various applications in the polymer composite industry
To other cellulosic fiber-reinforced polymer composites, the critical concerns regarding BF in reinforced composites is the poor interfacial adhesion between the BF and matrix, which results from the hydrophilic nature of BF that acts in opposition to the hydrophobic nature of the polymer
It was observed that nano CaCO3 impregnation modification (IM) had a greater effect on the water resistance than blending modification (BM), which was due to agglomerations of nano CaCO3 a greater effect on the water resistance than BM, which was due to agglomerations of nano CaCO3 forming on the surface of the BF during the BM

Summary

Introduction

Bamboo fiber (BF) has become an ecologically viable substitute for wood fiber and presents great potential for various applications in the polymer composite industry. BF-reinforced polymer composites have been extensively explored because of the properties of BFs [1,2]. To other cellulosic fiber-reinforced polymer composites, the critical concerns regarding BF in reinforced composites is the poor interfacial adhesion between the BF and matrix, which results from the hydrophilic nature of BF that acts in opposition to the hydrophobic nature of the polymer. The interfacial properties are a key area of focus when studying plant fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A high adhesive strength can transfer stress between the fiber and polymer, but a low adhesive strength will see the composite damaged (layered or broken) when it sustains an external load. It is essential to improve the matrix-fiber adhesion, which will ensure effective stress transfer in the composite, whereas the transmission efficiency depends mainly upon the interface bonding between the fiber and matrix

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion