Thermophysical behavior of date palm fiber-reinforced polyvinylchloride /low-density polyethylene/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber copolymer ternary composite

Abstract

Date palm tree leaf-reinforced polymer composites have important advantages, such as sustainability and lowcost. In the present study, ternary blend composites of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) copolymer (LDPE/PVC: C0, LDPE/PVC/NBR:C1) as well as reinforced composites with 10, 20, and 30 wt.% of alkali treated date palm fiber (TDPF) (C2, C3 and C4 respectively) were fabricated using a melt blending extrusion process. TDPF and the NBR copolymer were used to improve the interfacial bonding, compatibility, and thermo-mechanical properties of the composite, yielding the highest tensile strength of 32 MPa for the composite containing 10 wt.% TDPF. Moreover, the morphological analysis showed that the incorporation of the NBR copolymer enhanced the compatibility of the blend. Mechanical tests revealed that the hardness of the TDPF/PVC/LDPE/NBR composite increased in the order C2 (450 MPa) < C3 < C4 (540 MPa). In addition, the flexural and tensile moduli of the composite increased with increasing TDPF content, with the highest values (534 and 1585 MPa, respectively) observed for composite C4. Thermal analysis revealed increased Tonset and T10% values, indicating an improved thermal stability of the composite. This study clearly demonstrates that the (DPF/PVC/LDPE/NBR) composites can be used in various high-tech engineering applications, which require excellent properties.

Keywords

• polyvinylchloride
• low-density polyethylene
• acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
• alkali treated date palm fiber