Effect of Kenaf Fiber as a Reinforcement on the Tensile, Flexural Strength and Impact Toughness Properties of Recycled Polypropylene/Halloysite Composites

Composites rPP/DVB/PP-g-AA/Hall and rPP/DVB/PP-g-AA/KF/Hall have been reactively synthesized in xylene solution. The starting materials are recycled polypropylene (rPP), divinylbenzene (DVB), and PP-g-AA coupling agent, halloysite (Hall) and kenaf fiber (KF). By using ASTM D638, D6272 and D6110, the mechanical properties of composites which are measured: tensile strength (TS), flexural strength (FS) and impact toughness (IT), respectively. The result of the rPP/DVB/PP-g-AA/Hall (C1) composite test shows that the TS increased up to 52%, the FS to 10% and the IT to 7% compared to that of starting material rPP. In the mean time, the addition of 20% (w/w) of KF as a second reinforcement to form rPP/DVB/PP-g-AA/KF/Hall composites (C3) is able to increase the TS by 18%, the FS by 28% and the IT by 27% compared to the composite without KF (C1). (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.