Influence of the Coupling Agent on Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposite-based Wood-Plastic Composites

摘要

In this study, wood-plastic composites (WPCs) were made by compounding 50 wt% wood flour with 50 wt% of a matrix material composed of a polypropylene (PP)/clay-based nanocomposite using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Polymer nanocomposite (PNC) pellets, having varying percentages of clay, were first made by employing a PP/clay master batch. These pellets were then compounded with the wood flour and different percentages of polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) that acts as coupling agent between wood and PP. WPC pellets were finally injection molded into a variety of test specimens whose mechanical properties and rate of water absorption were measured and whose fracture surfaces were examined with the help of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results were compared with WPCs containing additional wood flour but no clay. It was found that the addition of clay to PP enhanced the modulus of both the base polymer and the injection-molded WPCs. Results of water absorption tests indicated a reduction in the initial rate of water uptake when 4 w% of clay was used in the WPC matrix.