Abstract
This work addresses the use of piassava fibers (PF) as reinforcement for recovered polypropylene (PPr) in the manufacturing of composites. The composites were molded with variable amounts of PF (10, 20 and 30 wt%), with and without maleic anhydride functionalized polypropylene (MAPP) (10 wt%) as compatibilizer. The composites were characterized using mechanical tests (flexural, tensile, impact and hardness), thermal analyses (thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry), along with evaluations of heat deflection temperature, melting flow index, density and morphology. Tensile and flexural strength of composites increased with PF content, but impact strength decreased, since the material became stiffer. The use of MAPP in the formulations yielded superior properties, showing good fiber/matrix interaction. In all, the use of PF as reinforcement in PPr was considered an interesting way of reducing solid waste and to reinforce plastics, being a possible alternative for the substitution of wood in WPC composites.
Highlights
With the growth of the consumer market, the amount of solid waste has steadily increased worldwide. This is even more worrying considering the low degradability of some synthetic materials, with potential harm to humans and the environment
There was an increase in density for a higher amount of piassava fibers (PF) due to the higher density of PF (1.45 g/cm3)[12, 13] compared to the PPr (0.93 g/cm3)[14]
According to the literature[15,16], the higher the amount of fiber embedded in the matrix, the lower the melt flow index (MFI) since the presence of fibers hinders the flow and increases viscosity
Summary
With the growth of the consumer market, the amount of solid waste has steadily increased worldwide This is even more worrying considering the low degradability of some synthetic materials, with potential harm to humans and the environment. A used material is no longer considered waste if it is later employed as raw material, and this is a great business opportunity for companies since it enables production at lower cost, with less energy and by using materials that would be otherwise discarded Because of their widely acceptance/use and low degradability, polymeric materials are sometimes considered an environmental problem. For the manufacturing of natural fiber polymeric composites, it is common to use a third component to tackle fiber/matrix compatibility, which is one of the main barriers for the effective use in these composites These coupling agents may reduce interfacial tension and improve adhesion between the phases, influencing the final properties of the composite[5,6,7,8]. The main objective of this work is to investigate the effect of MAPP in the compatibilization of recovered polypropylene with piassava fiber for the future development of elements for the construction and architecture sectors
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