Properties of polypropylene composite produced with silk and cotton fiber waste as reinforcement

Abstract

The importance of polymer composites among industrial materials is due to their improved mechanical properties. In recent researches, mechanical and physical properties have been improved by way of making composites with fiber reinforcement. Silk and cotton fibers used in the textile industry have good physical and mechanical properties. In this study, composite structures were produced by using recycled Poly Propylene, PP, polymer with silk and cotton waste as fiber reinforcement in different ratios. The fiber dimensions of silk and cotton wastes were between 1mm, 2.5mm, and 5mm. They were mixed in the ratios of PP/silk and cotton waste 97%/3 and 94%/6. The mixture of polymer composite was prepared with double screw extruder. The sample was tested for tensile strength, elongation, yield strength, elasticity modulus, izod impact strength, melt flow index (MFI), heat deflection temperature (HDT), and vicat softening temperature. Thermal transitions of the materials were determined with Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and micro-structure properties were observed with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).