Reinforced Polypropylene Research Articles

Mechanical behavior of PP reinforced with marble dust

The main objective of this study is to review the capability of using marble dust particles as reinforcing materials in polymeric composites. In this study, it is intended to obtain a novel composite material by using these particles as reinforcement in polypropylene (PP) matrix. The effect of different particle sizes (35–1350 μm) and the weight percentage of marble dust particles (10–70 wt%) on the thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. In addition, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) of the dust particles were studied. It was found that the thermal and the mechanical properties (such as flexural strength, compressive strength, elastic modulus and hardness) of the composites were improved by adding the dust particles into the PP matrix. The experimental results were observed and the optimum conditions were determined. The fracture surface of the tested samples under bending was studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM images show the dust particles agglomeration and the pullout of this particles which are responsible for the strength reduction in the composites.

Studies on Isora Fibers Mixed with 1% Ricinoleic Acid Reinforced with Polypropylene

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Isora fiber mixed with 1% ricinoleic acid as a reinforcement for polypropylene (PP) thermoplastic matrix. Isora fibers were subjected to mercerization prior to blending with PP in order to obtain good interfacial adhesion with the matrix. A PP/Isora composite has been prepared by melt blending of PP with 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% alkali treated Isora fiber in co-rotating twin screw extruder. The extruded strands are pelletized and then injection-moulded to obtain specimens. The optimum compositions of the PP/alkali treated Isora composites were mixed with 1% ricinoleic acid. Fiber-matrix adhesion will be analysed by mechanical and thermal properties of the composites which were evaluated.

Recycled Cellulose Polypropylene Composite Feedstocks for Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing.

Many types of consumer-grade packaging can be used in material extrusion additive manufacturing processes, providing a high-value output for waste plastics. However, many of these plastics have reduced mechanical properties and increased warpage/shrinkage compared to those commonly used in three-dimensional (3D) printing. The addition of reinforcing materials can lead to stiffer parts with reduced distortion. This paper presents work in the reinforcement of recycled polypropylene using cellulose waste materials to generate a green composite feedstock for extrusion-based polymer additive manufacturing. Recycled polypropylene/waste paper, cardboard, and wood flour composites were made using a solid-state shear pulverization process. Fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analysis were utilized to qualitatively analyze the amount of filler incorporated into the 3D-printed materials. Recycled polymer composites had increased levels of filler incorporated in the printed parts compared to the virgin polymer composites based on the thermal gravimetric analysis. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed a ca. 20–30% increase in storage modulus with the addition of cellulose materials. Tensile strength was not significantly increased with the addition of 10 wt % cellulose, but the elastic modulus increased 38% in virgin polypropylene. The analysis of fracture surfaces revealed that failure initiates at the interface, suggesting that the interfacial strength is weaker than the filler strength.

Mechanical properties of short basalt fibre reinforced polypropylene and the effect of fibre sizing on adhesion

The focus of this study was to investigate the potential of short basalt fibre (BF) as reinforcement for polypropylene (PP) and the effect fibre sizing has on adhesion and resultant mechanical properties. Short fibre PP composites were manufactured at fibre loadings of 10, 20 and 30 wt% using fibres coated in multi-purpose epoxy based sizing and four experimental PP tailored sizings. SEM image analysis of polished composite cross-sections showed that dispersion was independent of what matrix the fibre sizing was designed for. Fibre length distribution showed the final fibre length of BF was larger than glass fibres in PP composites, which is attributed to its higher abrasive resistance. DSC revealed in general basalt does not influence the crystallinity of PP but some sizings resulted in a 2–3%increase, however, BF increases onset crystallisation temperature by ~3 °C. Tensile and flexural properties of PP can be significantly increased by up to 64% (tensile strength) and 110% (tensile modulus) through the addition of short BF with properties increasing as fibre content increases; however the impact strength simultaneously decreases. Mechanical properties were highly dependent on fibre sizing, where fibres indicating good adhesion provided the greatest increase in tensile and flexural strength but resulted in lower impact strength. Analysis of the fibre-matrix interface highlighted the significant effect sizing has on interfacial shear strength where improvements of 117% were evident. This study highlights the potential of BF as an effective reinforcement for PP while enforcing the importance and advancements of fibre sizing on promotion of adhesion.

Dynamical Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Composites Filled with Olive Pit Particles

Abstract Wood Polymer Composites (WPCs) have attracted attention in recent years because of growing ecological, social, and economic awareness. This study focuses on polymer composites filled with olive pit particles. In the present study, the test specimens were prepared with different ratios of mixtures that contain polypropylene (PP), olive pit particles in four different concentrations (5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 wt%), and maleic anhydride as modifier. The mechanical, thermal, and viscoelastic properties of the WPC were obtained using Dynamic Mechanic Analyzer test equipment and a thermogravimetric differential thermal analyzer. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was carried out in order to determine the chemical bonds of these materials. The specimens were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results of the study demonstrated that olive pit particles could be used as reinforcement for PP because of their good thermal and mechanical effects.

A Study of Bending Property for Glass Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Sheets

In this research a study of the influence of percentage for chopped fiber glass reinforcement thermoplastic sheet on the flexural strength. Hot compression method used to fabricate thermoplastic (polypropylene and polyamide) reinforced by fiber glass at different percentage (10,20,30,40) wt.%, the flexural strength test done by using three-point bending test. The results shown that for bending test the sample glass fiber reinforcement polyamide (GFRPA) and sample glass fiber reinforcement polypropylene (GFRPP), which reinforced with 40% fiber glass achieved the high magnitude of flexural strength (106.1 and 70.8) MPa respectively. While the sample polyamide (PA) and polypropylene (PP) without reinforcement show the lowest magnitude of flexural strength (59.5 and 38.4) MPa respectively.

Comparative Study of Jute, E-glass and Carbon Kevlar Fabric Reinforced Polypropylene Composite

In this experiment, three types of fabric such as jute, E-glass and carbon Kevlar were selected to manufacture composites taking polypropylene (PP) as matrix material. The objective of this study is to compare the examined properties such as tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break percentage (EB %), E-Modulus (EM) of jute, E-glass and carbon Kevlar fabric reinforced polypropylene composite. The properties of manufactured composite were evaluated experimentally using computerized UTM machine according to ASTM standards. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the surface groups of the composites. Water absorption and fire retardant behavior of the composites were also performed. The results revealed that the tensile strength, E-Modulus and water absorption of carbon Kevlar composite were exhibited higher than the jute and E-glass fabric reinforced composites. Different scenario has observed for elongation percentage at break. The capacity of fire retardant was noticed higher in jute fabric composite than E-glass and carbon Kevlar.

Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Fibers as Reinforcement in Polypropylene

In this work, EFB fibers / Polypropylene matrix were prepared using hot pressing tool at 3 different ratio (5%, 10%, and 15% EFB/PP). Tensile test and impact test were done according to ASTM standard, ASTM D638 and ASTM D256, respectively. The results from tensile test and impact test showed that the prepared specimens of EFB/PP composite have slightly higher elastic modulus (1.95 GPa - 2.1 GPa) compared to pure PP (1.91 GPa) but at the same time they are lack of ductility and have low impact strength, at a range of 4.6 kJ/m2 to 5.5 kJ/m2 compared to pure polypropylene with impact strength value of 18.18 kJ/m2. From the fractured surface analysis, the initial micro cracks were seen mostly occurred at the interface of the EFB/PP and air voids which act as a crack propagation site.

Deterioration of Wood Plastics Composites by the White-Rot Fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus

Wood plastic composites (WPC) are characterized by the mixing of wood fibers with plastics, allowing the production of new products whose characteristics are in several aspects superior to those of the original products and represent an expanding class of durable and low-cost materials in which their uses can reduce the environmental footprint and the dependence on petroleum products. Nevertheless, WPC has some setbacks, including biodegradation, which shortens its life span. In this study, the wood composite was exposed to the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus in order to evaluate its resistance to biodegradation. The WPC was prepared with a 1:1 ratio of Eucalyptus spp. bark as reinforcement agent and polypropylene as matrix. Mechanical and rheological properties and mass loss were evaluated from 15 to 120 days of fungus exposure. After 15 days, a mass loss was detected, which transmitted a negligible effect on the impact resistance of the composite. For the 120-day fungus-exposed composite, the fungus produced a biofilm under the WPC that create a special environment for lignocellulosic consuming led to deterioration of the mechanical properties and minor changes on the thermal–chemical stability of the WPC. Finally, the study gave a great indication of the susceptibility of a Eucalyptus-based composite to biodegradation.

Isolation, characterization, and incorporation of microfibrils and microcrystals from Typha domingensis Pers. as impact strength reinforcer of polypropylene matrix composite using stearic acid as interfacial modifier

Microcellulose has shown advantageous character as a reinforcement in polymeric materials and produces relatively light compounds with high specific properties. This research aimed to obtain microcellulose (crystals and fibers) from the macrophyte Typha domingensis for use as a polypropylene reinforcement material for impact strength improvement and to use stearic acid as an interfacial modifier (surfactant) between the polypropylene and cellulosic materials. A commercial cellulose was used to compare the effectiveness of the microcellulose isolated from the macrophyte. The results demonstrated the procedures were efficient at obtaining microcellulose. The analysis of the chemical composition indicated an increase in the α-cellulose content from 63.2% in the raw material to 97.9% in the bleached cellulose. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the chemical treatments changed the crystallinity. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed an increase in the thermal stability of the bleached cellulose compared with that of the raw material. The thermal stability of the macrophyte was higher than that of commercial cellulose. The scanning electron micrographs revealed the presence of longitudinal slits that favored interactions with the polymer matrix. The impact strength was greatly improved for the composites compared with the pure polypropylene.

Dynamically Cross-Linked Tannin as a Reinforcement of Polypropylene and UV Protection Properties.

Tannins were used as reinforcing components for polypropylene with anti-UV properties via dynamic curing extrusion. The influence of cross-linked tannins in different weight fraction and their anti-UV capacity on morphological, mechanical, rheological, crystallize and thermal properties were studied. The experimental results indicated that the cross-linked tannins improve Young’s modulus, crystallinity, and thermal stability and reinforce the internal network of polypropylene. After UV accelerated weathering, polypropylene had fewer surface cracks, lower carbonyl index, fewer crystallinity decreases and less mechanical properties loss with increasing tannin content.

A Study on the Effect of Fibre Dimensions on the Thermal Conductivity of Pineapple Leaf Fibre Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

This research was carried out to study the thermal conductivity (TC) properties of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The pineapple leaf fibre dimensions were altered specifically at the macro, micro and nano dimensional states. It was considered that the thermal conductivity (TC) behavior of pineapple leaf fibre/polypropylene (PALF/PP) composites would be significantly higher when the pineapple leaf fibre which is the reinforcement agent undergoes dimensional changes. The study also considered the effect the fibre surface modification agents would have on the thermal behavior of the reinforced pineapple leaf fibre /polypropylene composites. The fibre surface modification agents used in this study are sodium hydroxide, zinc chloride, acetic anhydride and nitric acid. The guided plate steady state approach for determining thermal conductivity was used in this research. Results showed that the micro and nano fibrils of the reinforcing agent contributed to the enhanced thermal conductivity behavior of the reinforced pineapple leaf fibre/polypropylene composites. The results obtained also showed that the reinforced microfibrils pineapple leaf fibre /polypropylene composites and reinforced nanofibrils pineapple leaf fibre/polypropylene composites modified with nitric acid exhibits higher thermal conductivity than reinforced pineapple leaf fibre/polypropylene (PALF/PP) composites modified with acetic anhydride, zinc chloride, sodium hydroxide and the unmodified pineapple leaf fibre in descending order respectively.

Effect of Recycling Cycles on the Mechanical and Damping Properties of Short Alfa Fibre Reinforced Polypropylene Composite

This paper aims at studying the effect of recycling on the static and dynamic properties of short alfa fibre reinforced polypropylene. For this purpose, alfa fibres reinforced composites were elaborated by an injection moulding process and were subjected to different mechanical recycling cycles. Then, non-recycled and recycled materials were subjected to static tests and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) to evaluate the effect of recycling on their behaviour. Besides, the effects of alkali and salt water treatments on the static and dynamic properties of the alfa composite were also investigated. The obtained results show that tensile and flexural properties of alfa fibres reinforced composites decrease during recycling cycles. Moreover, the recycling induces a drop in the storage modulus and enhances the loss factor of these composites. The composites with alfa fibre especially the alkali treated composite show the same resistance to recycling as composites with hemp fibres. Further, SEM observations indicate a decrease in the fibres dimension with the recycling cycles, especially for alfa fibres, which can explain the decrease in the properties of the alfa composite during recycling operations.

Mechanical, Degradation and Water Uptake Properties of Fabric Reinforced Polypropylene Based Composites: Effect of Alkali on Composites

In this study, a fabric was manufactured consisting of 50% pineapple, 25% jute and 25% cotton fibers by weight, to make composites using polypropylene (PP) as a matrix material. We used compression molding technique, which kept 30% of the fabric content by total weight as the composite. The tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation break (Eb%), bending strength (BS) and bending modulus (BM) were investigated. From analyzed data, it was found that the composite values of TS, TM, Eb%, BS and BM were 58 MPa, 867 MPa, 22.38%, 42 MPa and 495 MPa, respectively. The TS, TM, Eb%, BS and BM of the neat polypropylene sheet were 28 MPa, 338 MPa, 75%, 20 MPa and 230 MPa, respectively. Due to fabric reinforcement, composite values for TS, TM, BS and BM increased 107%, 156%, 110% and 115%, respectively in comparison with a polypropylene sheet. A water absorption test was performed by dipping the composite samples in deionized water and it was noticed that water absorption was lower for PP-based composites. For investigating the effect of alkali, we sunk the composites in a solution containing 3%, 5% and 7% sodium hydroxide alkali solutions by weight, for 60 min after which their mechanical properties were investigated. A degradation test was carried out by putting the samples in soil for six months and it was noticed that the mechanical properties of fabric/PP composites degraded slowly.

Thermo-Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Water Hyacinth Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

This paper focusses on the analysis of thermo-mechanical and morphological properties of water hyacinth (WH) fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) biocomposites manufactured by using a single screw extruder and an injection molding machine. With a view to increasing the compatibility between the WH fibers and polypropylene matrix, raw WH fibers were chemically treated with Benzenediazonium salt in base media. Composites were manufactured with five different levels of loading (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 wt%) of both the raw and treated WH fibers. Thermal properties of WH-PP composites were evaluated by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses. To analyze mechanical properties of composites, tests of tensile strength and stiffness, flexural strength and stiffness, and Charpy impact strength were carried out following ASTM standards. It was found that thermal stability and all the mechanical properties except tensile strength were improved considerably for chemically treated WH fiber composites in comparison with untreated ones. Fracture surfaces of the tensile and flexural specimens were scanned with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand their surface morphologies. The SEM images clearly revealed that there were fewer fiber agglomerations, microvoids, and fiber pull out traces in treated WH-PP composites than in the untreated ones indicating better distribution of the fibers into the matrix as well as stronger fiber matrix interfacial adhesion due to treatment of WH fibers. Water absorption properties were studied to evaluate the viability of these biocomposites under specified conditions.

유리섬유 직물로 보강된 폴리프로필렌 복합체의 기계적 물성에 대한 가공 변수의 영향

유리섬유 직물로 보강된 폴리프로필렌 복합체의 기계적 물성에 대한 가공 변수의 영향

Recycling dyed cotton textile byproduct fibers as polypropylene reinforcement

The textile industry generates a large amount of byproducts that must be treated before being recycled or disposed of. The treatments to extract the dyeing agents are mandatory, and involve costs and interaction with toxic reagents. A relevant amount of such byproducts are short cotton dyed fibers. Cotton fibers are high-quality cellulosic fibers and can be used as composite reinforcement. In this paper, dyed cotton fibers were used to formulate, obtain and tensile test composite materials. The impact of the presence of dyes was studied and such dyes enhanced the interphase between the matrix and the reinforcement. On the other hand, when a coupling agent was incorporated to the formulation of the composites, the dyes hindered the chemical interactions between the maleic acid and the OH groups of the cellulosic fibers. Nonetheless, the composite materials showed competitive mechanical properties that were better than other natural fiber-reinforced composites and comparable to some glass fiber-based ones. Dyed cotton fibers can be used as reinforcement without further treatment, increasing the value chain of the textile industry and decreasing the chemical treatments necessary to recycle or dispose of dyed textile fibers.

Effects of Lignin Content on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene Composites Reinforced with Micro Particles of Spray Dried Cellulose Nanofibrils

In this work, the use of microsized cellulosic particles obtained from spray dried cellulose nanofibrils with high lignin content (>20 wt %) were explored for the first time as reinforcement in polypropylene (PP) composites. Their effect was compared with the results from PP composites reinforced by cellulosic particles of spray dried cellulose nanofibrils with a low lignin content (<5 wt %). Cellulose nanofibrils with diameters less than 100 nm were obtained by mechanically fibrillating unbleached and bleached cellulosic fibers obtained from tree bark after alkaline extraction for removal of extractive. These cellulose nanofibrils were then spray dried to microsized high lignin content cellulose particles (HLCP) and low lignin content cellulose particles (LLCP), respectively. The presence of a large amount of lignin in the nanofibrils alleviated the degree of aggregation during the spray drying process. Both HLCP and LLCP were melt compounded with polypropylene (PP) to make composites films with differen...

Electrospun Polyethylene Terephthalate Nonwoven Reinforced Polypropylene Separator: Scalable Synthesis and Its Lithium Ion Battery Performance.

A novel polyethylene terephthalate nonwoven reinforced polypropylene composite separator (PET/PP) with high thermal stability and low thermal shrinkage characteristic is developed through a scalable production process. In the composite separator, the electronspun polyethylene terephthalate nonwoven layer improves the electrolyte affinity and can sustain as the barrier layer after the shutdown of the polypropylene layer. Due to its high ionic conductivity, the PET/PP separator shows an excellent discharge capacity. In addition, the superior thermal stability of the separator significantly enhances the safety performance of the separator. Considering the feasibility of the large-scale production of the PET/PP separator and its superior battery performance, we expect that the novel separator could be a promising alternative to the existing commercial separators.

Impact Resistance of Bamboo Fabric Reinforced Polypropylene Composites and Their Hybrids

Bamboo in woven fabric form embedded in the polymer results in easier material handling during production and reduction in the manufacturing cost of the composites. In the current study, the effect of hybridization of bamboo fabric with glass fibres on the impact properties of the composites made from them has been studied. The composites were fabricated using a compression moulding method. Bamboo fibres were in the form of twill-weave fabric. Impact tests were conducted using an instrumented drop weight impact test system. It can be seen that the peak load and energy absorbed increase with the increase in the applied impact energy. For the BPP composites, the applied energy of the impact was increased until penetration was occurred at 55 J. While for the BGPP hybrid composites, they were penetrated at the applied energy of only 35 J. However, The hybrid composites exhibit a greater peak load resistance than the BPP composites. The crack damage in the composites was also reduced with the presence of fabric reinforcement. These preliminary results indicate that bamboo fabric is truly a new contender for developing excellent and balanced properties of composites such as for the interior components.