Novel high-strength, micro fibrillated cellulose-reinforced polypropylene composites using a cationic polymer as compatibilizer

Abstract

Novel high-strength, micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared using maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) and a cationic polymer having a primary amino group (CPPA) as coupling agents. Un-dried kraft pulp was micro-fibrillated into nano- to submicron-wide fibrils by kneading with powdered PP and the coupling agents via a twin-screw extruder. The composites were prepared by injection molding. The MFC-reinforced PP composites containing both coupling agents MAPP and CPPA (combination system) showed extremely high mechanical strength compared with the MFC-reinforced composite containing only MAPP. The tensile strength of a 30 wt% MFC-PP composite containing the combination system was 27 % higher than that of the composite containing only MAPP, and more than 60 % higher than that of neat PP. In addition, the heat distortion temperature, under a 1.82-MPa flexural load, of the composite with the combination system was 17 °C higher than that of the composite with MAPP only, and 34 °C higher than that of neat PP. The anisotropy of the modulus and strength in the injection-molded MFC composites was lower than that of glass fiber-reinforced PP.