Mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene/sugarcane Bagasse composites

To determine the possibility of using sugarcane bagasse (SCB) waste as reinforcing filler in the thermoplastic polymer matrix, SCB‐reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared. The PP and SCB composites were prepared by the extrusion of PP resin with 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt % of SCB filler in a corotating twin screw extruder. The extruded strands were cut into pellets and injection molded to make test specimens. These specimens were tested for physicomechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, Izod, and Charpy impact strengths, density, water absorption, and thermal characteristics, namely, heat deflection temperature (HDT), melt flow index, and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the flexural strength increased from 23.66 to 26.84 MPa, Izod impact strength increased from 10.499 to 13.23 Kg cm/cm, Charpy impact strength increased from 10.096 to 13.98 Kg cm/cm, and HDT increased from 45.5 to 66.5°C, with increase in filler loading from 5 to 20% in the PP matrix. However, the tensile strength and elongation decreased from 32.22 to 27.21 MPa and 164.4 to 11.20% respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3827–3832, 2007     

Mechanical properties and viscoelastic behavior of basalt fiber‐reinforced polypropylene

In the present article, a series of commercial‐grade polypropylenes (PP) filled with different contents of short basalt fibers were studied. This composite material presented deterioration of both mechanical characteristics, for example, stress and strain at yield with increasing of the fiber content. On the other hand, the impact strength was fourfold higher than that of unfilled PP. A poor adhesion between the PP matrix and the basalt fibers was detected. This is why interfacial interactions were promoted by the adding of poly(propylene‐g‐maleic anhydride) (PP‐g‐MA). It was observed that the tensile properties of the obtained materials and their impact strengths increased significantly with increasing of the amount of PP‐g‐MA in the blend. The adhesion improvement was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy as well. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to assess if any chemical interactions in the system PP/PP‐g‐MA/basalt fibers exist. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis data showed an increase of the storage modulus with increasing fiber content. The conclusion was made that the modification of the PP matrix led to a higher stiffness but its value remained constant, irrespective of the PP‐g‐MA content. With increasing fiber content, damping in the β‐region decreased, but increase of the coupling agent content restored its value back to that of PP. The loss modulus spectra presented a strong influence of fiber content on the α‐relaxation process of PP. The position of the peaks of the above‐mentioned relaxation processes are discussed as well. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 523–531, 1999     

The flame retardancy and mechanical properties of jute/polypropylene composites enhanced by ammonium polyphosphate/polypropylene powder

Surface flame retarded jute/polypropylene composites (J/P/A) were prepared via a modified strategy: the mixture of PP and APP powder was spread over the surface of jute/PP nonwoven felts, and then transformed into the flame retarded layer by the hot pressing process. The flame retardancy and thermal properties of composites were analyzed by limit oxygen index (LOI), horizontal burning rate (HBR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We demonstrated that the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of composites was significantly improved compared with those obtained by presoaking the nonwoven fiber felts in flame retardant (FR) solvent before hot pressing. The mechanism of thermal degradation of jute fiber and flame‐retardant mechanism of composites were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43889.     

Mechanical and biodegradation properties of bamboo fiber-reinforced starch/polypropylene biodegradable composites

Bamboo fiber (BF)-reinforced starch/polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared by extrusion and injection molding methods. The mechanical and thermal properties and water absorption were evaluated by different methods. Moreover, composite samples were subjected to biodegradation through soil burial test and microbes medium degradation. Different stages of biodegradation were investigated by weight loss, attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, and scanning electron microscope. It was found that contents of BF and starch resin had a significant influence on the properties of the composites. With more content of BF, the composite exhibited a better flexural property and biodegradation. A distinct decrease of weight loss and mechanical properties indicated the degradation caused by the microbes. After biodegradation, thermal stability of the composites decreased while the crystallinity of PP increased. The results prove that the composites more easily tend to be degraded and assimilated by microbes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 137, 48694.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene/wood‐flour composites

In this research, polypropylene/wood‐flour composites (WPCs) were blended with different contents of wood and/or maleated polypropylene (MAPP) and clay. We found that the addition of MAPP or clay in the formulation greatly improved the dispersion of the wood fibers in the composite; this suggested that MAPP or clay may have played the role of an adhesion promoter in the WPCs. The results obtained with clay indicate that it also acted as a flame retardant. The thermal tests carried out with the produced samples showed an increased crystallization temperature (T_c), crystallinity, and melting temperature (T_m) with wood loading. The increase of the two former parameters was explained by the incorporation of wood flour, which played the role of nucleating agent and induced the crystallization of the matrix polymer. On the other hand, the T_m increase was ascribed to the insulating properties of wood, which hindered the movement of heat conduction. The effects of UV irradiation on T_m and T_c were also examined. T_c increased with UV exposure time; this implied that UV degradation generated short chains with low molecular weight that could move easily in the bulk of the sample and, thus, catalyze early crystallization. The flexural strength and modulus increased with increasing wood‐flour content. In contrast, the impact strength and tensile strength and strain decreased with increasing wood‐flour content. All of these changes were related to the level of dispersion of the wood flour in the polymeric matrix. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Bamboo fiber reinforced polypropylene composites and their mechanical,thermal, and morphological properties

Short bamboo fiber reinforced polypropylene composites were prepared by incorporation of various loadings of chemically modified bamboo fibers. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA‐g‐PP) was used as compatibilizer to improve fiber–matrix adhesion. The effects of bamboo fiber loading and modification of the resin on the physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the bamboo reinforced modified PP composites were studied. Scanning electron microscopy studies of the composites were carried out on the interface and fractured surfaces. Thermogravimetric analysis and IR spectroscopy were also carried out. At 50% volume fraction of the extracted bamboo fiber in the composites, considerable increase in mechanical properties like impact, flexural, tensile, and thermal behavior like heat deflection temperature were observed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Mechanical and thermal transmission properties of carbon nanofiber‐dispersed carbon/phenolic multiscale composites

The present article reports the development and characterization of carbon nanofiber (CNF)‐incorporated carbon/phenolic multiscale composites. Vapor‐grown CNFs were dispersed homogeneously in to phenolic resin using an effective dispersion route, and carbon fabrics were subsequently impregnated with the CNF‐dispersed resin to develop carbon fiber/CNF/phenolic resin multiscale composites. Mechanical and thermal transmission properties of multiscale composites were characterized. Elastic modulus and thermal conductivity of neat carbon/phenolic and multiscale composites were predicted and compared with the experimental results. It was observed that incorporation of only 1.5 wt % CNF resulted in 10% improvement in Young's modulus, 12% increase in tensile strength, and 36% increase in thermal conductivity of carbon/phenolic composites. Fracture surface of composite samples revealed the formation of stronger fiber/matrix interface in case of multiscale composites than neat carbon/phenolic composites. Enhancement of above properties through CNF addition has been explained, and the difference between the predicted values and experimental results has been discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Mechanical and thermal properties of eucalyptus fiber composites bonding by blocked polyurethane adhesive

In this work, composites from eucalyptus fiber (EF) and polyurethane emulsion (PU) were prepared. Ethyl cellosolve-blocked polyisocyanate (EC-bp) was used as a novel adhesive and the mechanical and water absorption properties of the prepared composites were analyzed. The results showed that the tensile, flexural, and water resistance properties of the composites modified by such adhesive were enhanced compared with those of unmodified ones. Effects of EC-bp on the thermal degradation and the morphology of the composites were also investigated and compared. The presence of modification on the surface of EC-bp treated EF/PU composites was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) from the appearance of CO bands absorbance and the reducing of relative intensity of OH. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) resulted that the thermal stability of the modified composites was improved. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) was used to observe the morphology and evaluate the interfacial adhesion of the composites. The results showed that much better homogeneity morphology of the modified composites was achieved, which indicated that the prepared EC-bp as an adhesive could improve the interfacial adhesion. These findings appeared that the occurrence of strong bonds between the composite components in the presence of EC-bp, rather than the unique existence of Van der Waals interactions among the nonpolar structures or the hydrogen bonding interaction. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Mechanical and thermal properties of graphite nanoplatelets reinforced polyarylene ether nitriles/bisphthalonitrile IPN system

A new type of graphite nanoplatelets (GN) reinforced polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN)/bisphthalonitrile (BPh) interpenetrating polymer network with high strength and high toughness was synthesized and characterized. The results showed that GN and PEN had obvious synergistic effect on its properties of resulted BPh composites. Compared to pure BPh, with a loading of 10 wt % PEN and 10 wt % GN, the obtained composites exhibited excellent mechanical properties. In these systems, the flexural toughness and strength of BPh resin could be enhanced with the incorporation of PEN; meanwhile, GN could further improve the flexural modulus and thermal stability lowered by PEN. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Mechanical properties of Mg(OH)2/polypropylene composites modified by functionalized polypropylene

Modified Mg(OH)₂/polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared by the addition of functionalized polypropylene (FPP); and acrylic acid (AA) and by the formation of in situ FPP. The effects of the addition of FPP and AA and the formation of in situ FPP on the mechanical properties of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the addition of Mg(OH)₂ markedly reduced the mechanical properties of PP. The extent of reduction in notch impact strength of PP was higher than that in flexural strength and tensile strength. However, tensile modulus and flexural modulus increased with increased Mg(OH)₂ content. The addition of FPP facilitated the improvement in the flexural strength and tensile strength of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. The higher the Mg(OH)₂ content was, the more significant the effect of FPP was. The incorporation of AA resulted in further increased mechanical properties, in particular the flexural strength, tensile strength, and notch impact strength of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites containing high levels of Mg(OH)₂. It not only improved mechanical properties but also increased the flame retardance of Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. Although the mechanical properties of composites modified by the formation of in situ FPP were lower than those of composites modified by only the addition of AA in the absence of diamylperoxide, the mechanical properties did not decline with increased Mg(OH)₂ content. Moreover, the mechanical properties increased with increasing AA content. The addition of an oxidation resistant did not influence the mechanical properties of the modified Mg(OH)₂/PP composites. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2139–2147, 2003     

Mechanical and thermal properties of hierarchical composites enhanced by pristine graphene and graphene oxide nanoinclusions

Epoxy resin nanocomposites incorporated with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt % pristine graphene and modified graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes were produced and used to fabricate carbon fiber‐reinforced and glass fiber‐reinforced composite panels via vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding process. Mechanical and thermal properties of the composite panels—called hierarchical graphene composites—were determined according to ASTM standards. It was observed that the studied properties were improved consistently by increasing the amount of nanoinclusions. Particularly, in the presence of 4 wt % GO in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 15% (21%), 34% (84%), and 40% (68%), respectively. Likewise, with inclusion of 4 wt % pristine graphene in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 11% (7%), 30% (77%), and 34% (58%), respectively. Also, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% GO inclusion was improved 52% (89%). Similarly, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% pristine graphene inclusion was improved 45% (80%). The reported results indicate that both pristine graphene and modified GO nanoflakes are excellent options to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of fiber‐reinforced polymeric composites and to make them viable replacement materials for metallic parts in different industries, such as wind energy, aerospace, marine, and automotive. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40826.     

Effect of polyphenylene sulfide containing amino unit on thermal and mechanical properties of polyphenylene sulfide/glass fiber composites

Three kinds of high‐molecular‐weight compatibilizers [copoly(1,4‐phenylene sulfide)‐poly(2,5‐phenylene sulfide amine)] (PPS‐NH₂) containing different proportions of amino units in the side chain) were synthesized by the reaction of dihalogenated monomer and sodium sulfide via nucleophilic substitution polymerization under high pressure. The intrinsic viscosity of the obtained copolymers was 0.354–0.489 dL/g and they were found to have good thermal performance with melting point (T_m) of 271.3–281.0 °C and initial degradation temperature (T_d) of 490.0–495.7 °C. There was an excellent physical compatibility between PPS‐NH₂ and the pure industrial PPS. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis and macro‐ and micromechanical test showed that the selective compatibilizer PPS‐NH₂ (1.0) (1.0% mol aminated ratio) can improve the mechanical and interfacial properties of polyphenylene sulfide/glass fiber (PPS/GF) composite. The macro‐optimal tensile strength, Young's modulus, bending strength, and notched impact strength of 5%PPS‐NH₂ (1.0)/PPS/GF composite raised up to 141 MPa, 1.98 GPa, 203 MPa, and 6.15 kJ/m², which increased 12.8%, 9.4%, 4.1%, and 13.8%, respectively, comparing with the pure PPS/GF composite (125 MPa, 1.81 GPa, 195 MPa, and 5.40 kJ/m², respectively). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45804.     

Mechanical and rheological properties of polypropylene/bentonite composites with stearic acid as an interface modifier

In this study, we present a study of polypropylene/bentonite composites where stearic acid was used as both a surface and interface modifier during the compounding of composites. The concentration of bentonite was 1.5, 2.5, 5.0, and 10 parts per hundred. The composites were characterized by impact resistance and tensile tests, rheological analysis, the dispersion state of the filler observed by optical microscopy, and interaction between bentonite and stearic acid, as analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. No chemical interaction was found between bentonite and stearic acid. Composites with modified bentonite and stearic acid used as interface modifiers increased the elongation at break; these samples also showed better dispersion of the filler in comparison with the other compounds. In addition, stearic acid acted as a lubricant, favoring the interaction of the polymer with the filler and decreasing the viscosity of the compounds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42264.     

Mechanical and thermal performances of epoxy resin/graphitic carbon nitride composites

In this paper, a series of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) was synthesized under different thermal oxidation etching temperatures and epoxy/g-C₃N₄ composites were prepared via solution blending. The morphology and structure of g-C₃N₄ were investigated by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The tensile fracture morphology and structure of epoxy resin (EP) composites were demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and XRD, respectively. Mechanical properties of EP composites were characterized by tensile testing, and the thermal performances were investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis. The results revealed that the active groups on g-C₃N₄ sheets increased under thermal oxidation etching and the C to N ratio of g-C₃N₄ decreased from 0.94 to 0.76 with the increasing etching temperature. Noticeably, the tensile strength of EP composites was enhanced by 58% with the addition of C₃N₄-NS-500 and the thermal properties were also improved significantly, including T_0.5 (the decomposition temperature at the mass loss of 50%) increased by 21.5 °C and glass transition temperature improved by 8 °C. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48598.     

The impact of polymer matrix blends on thermal and mechanical properties of boron nitride composites

To improve mechanical and thermal properties of a hexagonal boron nitride platelet filled polymer composites, maleic anhydride was studied as a coupling agent and compatibilizer. Injection molded blends of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and maleic anhydride with boron nitride filler were tested for thermal conductivity and impact strength to determine whether adding maleic anhydride improved interfacial interactions between matrix and filler and between the polymers. Adding both HDPE and maleic anhydride to ABS as the matrix of the composite resulted in a 40% improvement in impact strength without a decrease in thermal conductivity when compared to an ABS matrix. The best combination of thermal conductivity and impact strength was using pure HDPE as the matrix material. The effective medium theory model is used to help explain how strong filler alignment helps achieve high thermal conductivity, greater than 5 W/m K for 60 wt % boron nitride. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 137, 48661.     

Mechanical properties and densification behavior of β‐spodumene/anorthite composites

Although β‐spodumene/anorthite composites are interesting systems, little research work has been done to study their properties. This study aims at investigating the preparation and properties of β‐spodumene/anorthite composites containing β‐spodumene proportions ranging between 10 and 25 mass %. X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were used to characterize the effect of addition of β‐spodumene on the phase relations, microstructure, and thermal expansion behavior of resultant composites. The results show that the presence of β‐spodumene significantly reduces the porosity and reduces the densification temperature. It reduces thermal expansion and enhances the mechanical properties of anorthite‐containing composites.     

Mechanical properties,thermal, and crystallization behavior of polypropylene composites reinforced by starch and wasted cotton cloth

In this study, wasted cotton cloth was bonded with soluble starches as an adhesive, then dried, cut into fiber fragments and filled into polypropylene (PP) to achieve resource efficiency. The mechanical, thermal, and crystallization properties of the composites were characterized. The results indicated that with the addition of wasted cotton cloth treated without or with silane coupling agent (RC or TRC), PP composites' tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength have been improved. The heat distortion temperatures increased slowly, indicating that wasted cotton cloth filled into PP can be turned back into useful items without degradation of PP composites exhibited. Thus, it is a good avenue for the utilization of an otherwise wasted cotton cloth resource. The crystallization activation energy, nucleation constant, and folding surface free energy of PP were markedly reduced in PP/RC composites and its compatibilized composites. The value of F(T) gradually increased with the increasing relative degree of crystallinity. The addition of wasted cotton cloth could significantly reduce the spherulitic size of PP. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Mechanical and thermal properties of toughened polypropylene composites

The mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of a new flexible composite containing polypropylene fiber (PP) in a random poly(propylene‐co‐ethylene) (PPE) matrix with ethylene–propylene elastomer (EP) was investigated with emphasis on the effect of EP elastomer concentration. The intrinsic composition of the composites, toughening of the matrix with EP and the fiber–matrix interface determined the properties of the composites. Through the incorporation of EP elastomer into the polypropylene–poly (propylene‐co‐ethylene) (all‐PP) composite, tensile and storage modulus (E′) decreased, flexural modulus and loss modulus (E″, damping) increased slightly to 0.15 EP and then decreased. There was an increase in impact resistance for the toughened composites, with about 100% increase in comparison with an untoughened all‐PP composite. The composition corresponding to 0.20 weight fraction EP gave optimum impact and mechanical properties. Creep resistance of the composite decreased with increasing EP content, but recovery showed an increase with increasing EP content up to 0.20. Fracture surfaces of composites after impact tests were studied with scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the use and limitation of theoretical equations to predict the tensile and flexural modulus of the flexible PP composite is discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Mechanical and thermal properties of low density polyethylene composites filled with dye‐loaded shell powder

To achieve reinforcement and coloring in one combined process of polymer production, a dye‐loaded shell powder (DPSP) based on Congo red and pearl shell powder was prepared and used as a versatile bio‐filler in low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). The DPSP was characterized by means of X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The mechanical, thermal, and colorimetric properties of prepared LDPE/DPSP composites were investigated as well. Adding DPSP could significantly increase the strength and stiffness of LDPE composites while giving an outstanding coloring performance. Moreover, the impact strength of LDPE composites was improved at lower filler loading rate, and the maximum incorporation content could reach 10 wt % with a good balance between toughness and stiffness of LDPE composites. The thermal performance studies confirmed an increase in thermal stability and heat resistance of LDPE composites with the incorporation of DPSP. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44118.     

Synergistic improvement of mechanical and thermal properties in epoxy composites via polyimide microspheres

Achieving synergetic improvements of mechanical strength, toughness, and thermal stability of epoxy resin has been a crucial but very challenging issue. Herein, to explore a new solution for circumventing this issue, polyimide microspheres were successfully prepared through the inverse nonaqueous emulsion process, and the structure, size distribution and morphologies of polyimide (PI) microspheres were comprehensively investigated. Then the PI microspheres were incorporated in epoxy resin matrix to systematically investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of obtained epoxy/PI microspheres composites. It was found that the PI microspheres can not only enhance the mechanical strength of epoxy resin, but also significantly improve the toughness. Specially, the epoxy-based composites containing 3 wt% PI microspheres exhibit a 47% increase in tensile strength, while the G_IC and Charpy impact strength increase by 106% and 200%, respectively. The toughing mechanism of epoxy/PI microspheres composites was discussed. Moreover, the PI microspheres can also endow the epoxy resin with excellent thermal stability and heat resistance. Thus, this work may open a new opportunity to synergistically enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy-based composites and may also give some valuable inspiration for the rational design of other high-performance thermosetting composites.