Dynamic mechanical properties of high density polyethylene and teak wood flour composites

The dynamic mechanical properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and teak wood flour (TWF) composites at varying volume fraction (I broken vertical bar (f)) of TWF from 0.00 to 0.32 have been studied. In HDPE/TWF composites, storage modulus (E') decreased at I broken vertical bar (f) = 0.05, then increases with I broken vertical bar (f); however, values were lower than HDPE up to I broken vertical bar (f) = 0.16, due to a pseudolubricating effect of filler. Loss modulus (EaEuro(3)) values were higher than HDPE in beta and alpha relaxation regions while in gamma relaxation region values were marginally equal to HDPE. Tan delta value decreases with I broken vertical bar (f) which may be due to enhanced amorphization and decreased crystallinity of HDPE. In presence of maleic anhydride grafted HDPE (HDPE-g-MAH), E' values were lower than HDPE/TWF composites. In HDPE/TWF/HDPE-g-MAH, EaEuro(3) were slightly higher than HDPE/TWF due to slippage of HDPE chains facilitated by the extent of degradation of coupling agent. Tan delta were higher for both systems than the rule of mixture.