Abstract

This study investigates the effect of adding the nanoclay particles on the mechanical properties of polypropylene-made cellulose composite. Based-on-polypropylene composites are mixed with the particles of wheat stalk flour with the dimensional size (mesh 80), nanoclay at three different levels (0, 2 and 4) per hundred compounds (phc) and also with Maleic Anhydride-grafted Polypropylene (MAPP) as compatibilizer by Dr. Colin machine at 180°C and 60 rpm and the standard test samples were made by injection molding method. Then the mechanical properties such as the tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength were measured. Finally, the cellulose composite was examined by the X-Ray Diffraction method (XRD) in order to study the structure and function of nanoclay particles and particles of wheat stalk flour with dimension 80 mesh. The results of mechanical test indicate that with an increase in the nanoclay amount up to the level 2 phc, the tensile and flexural strengths and tensile and flexural modulus of composite will be increased. However, these strengths will be decreased by increasing the amount of nanoclay to the level 4 phc. Moreover, the impact strength of composite is decreased by increasing the amount of nanoclay. Survey, conducted by the transmission X-ray diffraction on the nanocomposites indicates that the samples containing 2 phc nanoclay in the combination with the polymer have reached the intercalated structures. Furthermore, the samples with 4 phc nanoclay have shown the intercalated-flocculated structures. In general, the results showed that the best combination of materials for making the composite contained 2 phc nanoclay in terms of mechanical properties.

Keywords:

Cellulose composite, mechanical properties, nanoclay, polypropylene,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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The authors have no competing interests.