Studies on Mechanical Properties and Thermal Analysis of New Polymer Foam Composites Originated from Coconut Trunk Fiber/Polypropylene/High Density Polyethylene Composites

Use of wood fibers as reinforcement in polymer composites has recently received considerable attention due to environmental concerns associated with petroleum based polymers. This work describes new polymer foam composites originated from coconut trunk fiber (CTF)/polypropylene (PP)/ high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. The composites were successfully prepared by conventional foaming method using chemical blowing agent, with different filler content of untreated and treated CTF at 5, 10 and 15 phr were added into PP/HDPE blends. Foams composed of treated CTF/PP/HDPE composites exhibit better properties of cell structure, tensile strength, elongation at break, Young'modulus, compression strength, melting temperature, crystallinity and thermal stability, if compared to untreated CTF/PP/HDPE composites due to better interfacial bonding between filler and polymers. However, it was found that foamability decreases with the amount of CTF added in the PP/HDPE blends increases up to 15 phr due to restriction of cell growth by the wood fibers.