Production wood plastic of polypropylene/ poplar wood flour and starch powder with improved mechanical and biodegradability properties

Abstract

The mechanical (tensile strength and modulus, bending strength and modulus), humidity (water absorption and thickness swelling) and biodegradability properties of wood-plastics produced from polypropylene and poplar wood-flour (wood flour in three levels of 0, 20 and 25 percentage) in the presence of starch powder (at four levels of 0, 5, 10 and 15 percentage) are assessed as a bio strength agent. The material mixing process is run in two stages of applying an extruder machine and applying an internal mixer haake machine. The mechanical and humidity tests specimens are produced by mold injection method and the biodegradability test specimens are formed by hot press method. The tests are run according to standards and procedures. The results indicate that an increase in weight percentage of wood-flour in the composition, increase the mechanical strength, water absorption, thickness swelling and biodegradability of composites. An increase in weight percentage of starch powder in the composition, increase the bending strength and modulus, tensile modulus, water absorption, thickness swelling and biodegradability of composites, while decreasing the tensile strength. Additional studies run through the scanning electron microscopy indicate that by adding wood-flour and starch powder to the composition, the intensity of biodegradation increase at the surface of the specimens. By adding starch powder to the composition, the starch powder particles fill the cavities in the composite structure, thus a reduction in the volume of the pores in the composite structure.