Hybrid biocomposites with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties for structural applications |
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| Authors: | KC Birat Suhara Panthapulakkal Andrei Kronka Jose Augusto M. Agnelli Jimi Tjong Mohini Sain |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing (CBBP), Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3 Canada;2. Laboratório de Polímeros, Engenharia de Materiais (DEMa), Universidade Federal de S?o Carlos, Highway Washington Luís (SP‐310) Km 235, S?o Carlos, SP, CEP 13565‐905 Brazil;3. Centre of Advanced Chemistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589 Saudi Arabia |
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| Abstract: | The current work focuses on enhancing the mechanical and thermal properties of sisal fiber reinforced composites that were previously used in developing interior automotive trims. In order to extend their use in other structural applications, two hybrid biocomposites with the combination of sisal (SF) and glass fiber (GF)‐SF20/GF10 and SF10/GF20 were blended with polypropylene via extrusion and injection molding process. Critical material properties such as density, fogging, acoustic, mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties were evaluated and results were analyzed using ANOVA. Hybridization of SF and GF enhanced flexural strength and thermal properties of the biocomposites by 33 and 19%, respectively, while no significant change in acoustic, impact and rheological properties were observed. The properties of the hybrid biocomposites were compared with the material specification of a battery tray and it was found that these hybrid biocomposites could be better alternative materials in structural applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42452. |
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| Keywords: | applications composites properties and characterization thermoplastics thermal properties |
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