Effect of MAPP Addition on Impact Strength, Water Absorption, and Filler Volume Fraction of the Waste Polypropylene/Modified Coconut Wood Flour/Glass Fiber Hybrid Composite

By : Halimatuddahliana Nasution, Silvia, Castiqliana, Nuim Hayat

Page No: 667-676

Abstract
In this study, hybrid composite materials were prepared from combination of modified coconut wood flour (MCWF) and glass fiber (GF) as fillers, and waste polypropylene (WPP) as matrix. The coconut wood flour (CWF) was modified by 18% sodium hydroxyde solution to reduce its hydroxyl group.The interfacial adhesion between the non-polar waste polypropylene matrix and the polar fillers could be enhanced by using maleic anhydride-g[1]polypropylene (MAPP) which was synthesized from the refluxed reaction of maleic anhydride, polypropylene, xylene and benzoyl peroxide at 135°C. MAPP and GF composition were made constant at 2 wt. % and 10 wt. %, respectively and MCWF composition was varied from 10 – 40 wt.%. Mixing process was carried out in an extruder at 180oC and the samples were then molded in a hot press machine. The impact strength, water absorption, and filler volume fraction analysis were investigated. The results showed that addition 30 wt.% of MCWF and 10 wt.% of MAPP can elevate the impact strength of the composite. The study also revealed that water absorption of the composite has reduced with the utilization of MAPP. As comparison, composite without MAPP, no fillers and using one type of filler were also prepared. These results were also supported by Fourier Transform Infra - Red (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis.

 Authors :
Halimatuddahliana Nasution, Silvia, Castiqliana and Nuim Hayat : Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sumatera Utara, North Sumatra, 20155 Medan, Indonesia