The Effects of Lignocellulosic Fillers on Mechanical, Morphological and Thermal Properties of Wood Polymer Composites

The aim of this study was to investigate some of the physical, mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of wood flour and cellulose fiber filled polypropylene composites. Polypropylene as a polymer matrix and wood fl our and cellulose fibers were used as reinforcing fillers to prepare the composites by using a single screw extruder. Physical properties such as density, mechanical properties such as flexure strength and flexure modulus, tensile strength and tensile modulus, and impact strength, thermal behavior with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA), and morphological characterization with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the composites were determined. The density of the composites was found to increase with the addition of fillers. The mechanical properties of the composites showed that the flexure and tensile strength for the composites with wood flour was higher than the composites with cellulose fibers, whereas flexure and tensile modulus, and impact strength for the composites with cellulose fibers was found to have higher values as compared to the composites with wood flour. SEM pictures showed that particles and fibers dispersed to different locations in polypropylene matrix. According to the TGA results, thermal degradation of all the composites was found to be lower compared to neat polymer.