Surface Modification of Wood Fiber and Preparation of a Wood Fiber–Polypropylene Hybrid by In situ Polymerization

Abstract

AbstractThe surface functionalization of wood fiber was performed by chemical modification with bi‐functional organo‐silane 7‐octenyldimethylchlorosilane (7‐ODMCS) and mono‐functional organo‐silane n‐octyldimethylchlorosilane (n‐ODMCS). The chloro functionality of organo‐silane modifiers was utilized to functionalize wood fiber. The resulting modified fiber was characterized for thermal stability (thermal gravimetric analysis), presence of organic groups on the surface (Fourier‐transform IR), for particle size (microscopy) and for its hydrophobicity by dispersing in toluene. The modified fiber was used for in situ polymerization of propylene to obtain a wood fiber–polypropylene hybrid. The terminal olefin functionality of 7‐ODMCS was utilized for co‐polymerization of propylene during in situ polymerization. The wood fiber–polypropylene hybrid samples were characterized for thermal analysis. In order to confirm the co‐polymerization of propylene in 7‐ODMCS modified fiber during in situ polymerization, n‐ODMCS modified fiber having no olefin functionality was also used in in situ polymerization. magnified image