Utilization of Recycled Polypropylene for Production of Eco-Composites

Abstract

Renewable raw materials and recyclable thermoplastic polymers provide attractive eco-friendly quality as well as environmental sustainability to the resulting natural fiber reinforced composites. We studied the possibility of using the recycled polypropylene (PP) for production of composites based on kenaf fibers (KF) and rice hulls (RH) as reinforcements. Polypropylene/rice-hulls (PP/RH/CA) and polypropylene/kenaf (PP/K/CA) composites with 30% fiber (filler) content and appropriate compatibilizing agent (CA)—a maleic anhydride grafted PP (MAPP), have been prepared by two steps procedure: melt mixing and compression molding. Flexural strength and thermal stability of the composites with recycled PP were similar to those with neat PP. The composites reinforced with kenaf fibers have shown better properties than those based on rice hulls. The flexural strength of the composite sample with recycled PP is 51.3 MPa in comparison with 51.1 MPa for the composite with neat PP. Degradation temperatures of neat and composite with recycled PP at residual weight 90% are 344.4°C and 343.5°C, respectively. The results obtained report the possibility of utilization of recycled PP for the production of natural reinforcements based composites with good mechanical characteristics for using as construction building materials in housing systems.