The effect of using Palm Flour in the Manufacture of pp-based wood-plastic Composite

Abstract

In this research, the effect of the wood filler content and coupling agent (MAPP) on the physical and mechanical properties of Polypropylene reinforced with palm wood flour from the annual pruning of palm leaves (Shahani species) composite, were studied. For this purpose, the palm wood flour in three levels of 30%, 40%, 50% and two levels of Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene 4% and 6% were used as variable factors. Then, the Physical and mechanical properties of samples, including thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours of immersion in water, bending strength, bending modulus, tensile strength, tensile modulus and impact strength, were measured.The results showed that by increasing palm wood flour, the bending strength, tensile strength and impact strength were decreased but the thickness swelling, bending modulus, tensile modulus were increased. It was also found that by adding MAPP, thickness swelling, bending strength, bending modulus, tensile strength and tensile modulus were improved. The results revealed that at increased consumption of palm wood flour and adding coupling agent leads to improve quality of the interface and significant changes especially dimensional stability and MOE, are achieved.

Keywords

• Composite
• Polypropylene
• Palm flour
• Coupling agent
• Modulus of Elastisity