The treatment effect of tensile strength on polypropylene filled with silica from rice husk ash

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) is a plastic that can be utilized in many sectors such as food wrappers and eyeglass lenses. Polypropylene which is filled with silica from rice husk ash can improve it is mechanical properties. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the addition rice husk ash on the mechanical properties of polypropylene composite. The extracted silica filtered with 325 mesh sieve. Silica was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). Polypropylene composite is made using a simple mixing method. Polypropylene composite film filled with silica from rice husk ash was analyzed using tensile strength and elongation at break as well as functional group tests (FTIR) and composite structure (SEM). The result of this study was (1) Silica extracted from rice husk ash produced higher silica purity which is 21.93 % weight, (2) The extracted silica was in crystalline form, (3) The silica in polypropylene film was in siloxane form and (4) Polypropylene composite film with the addition of 2 % silica has the highest tensile strength and elongation at break (5.36 kgf/mm2 and 5.00 %).