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DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE NATURAL FIBRE GREEN COMPOSITES FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Mandla Vincent Khumalo1
1Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa

PAPER: 15/Composite/Regular (Oral) OS
SCHEDULED: 13:40/Mon. 21 Oct. 2024/Ariadni B

ABSTRACT:

Plastics are a necessity in today’s economy, being present in all the industrial and domestic sectors. The worldwide production of plastics about 200 million tons in 2000, 400 million tons in 2022 with an annual growth rate of 11% per annum. Basically, they are produced from petrol products and the disposal of pervasive plastic waste is a growing worldwide concern, and these materials generates large amounts of greenhouse emission which contributes to global pollution. This study examined the combined effects of coupling agent developed locally and Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PALF) different % loading on the mechanical and thermal characteristics of recycling polypropylene (r-PP) which was produced using twin screw extruder melt compounding. The PP grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) (PP -g-MA) was used as a coupling agent to improve the interfacial adhesion between recycling PP with PALF. The extent of grafting level was confirmed with FTIR. The results demonstrated the dependence of thermal stability and tensile properties on the grafting level of PP-g-MA, and weight percentage of PALF. Thus, it could be deduced that combination of PALF at high weight percentage (5, 10 and 15wt%) and PP-g-MA with high grafting level can significantly improve the thermal stability of recycling PP. The morphological analysis indicated better adhesion between PALF and recycling PP, in composites containing PP-g-MA with high grafting level. Overall, Recycling PP/PALF/PP-g-MA composites with improved interfacial adhesion and thermal stability and young’s modulus were successfully prepared, in the presence of PP-g-MA with high grafting level.

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