Abstract:
Abstract—Improvement of the demand for materials with
improved properties leads to acquiring the advancement of
composite materials. Reinforcement of cellulose nanofibers with
synthetic polymer materials is an interesting area in the polymerbased
researches to enhance mechanical properties as well as to
deplete environmental pollution. Polypropylene is one of the
frequently used thermoplastic matrix materials in engineering
composite applications. In nature, cellulose nanofiber is
hydrophilic and polypropylene is hydrophobic. Therefore,
surface modification of cellulose nanofibers is necessary to
prepare a nanocomposite with better performance. In the present
research discuss mechanical, water absorption, processability
properties and morphological studies of polypropylene with up to
5 wt. % loading of unmodified and silane surface modified
cellulose nanofiber reinforced composites. The results
determined that there is a wide improvement of the mechanical
properties of silylated cellulose nanofibers reinforced composite
series than that of unmodified cellulose nanofiber reinforced
series. Among that the best mechanical properties were given by
the 3.5% silane surface modified cellulose nanofibers loaded
polypropylene composite such as the hardness, tensile strength,
and impact strength values higher than that of untreated
cellulose nanofibers reinforced composite materials and pure
polypropylene. The prepared nanocomposite material can be
used for many engineering applications.
