Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Cotton/Polypropylene Commingled Composite Systems

The dynamic mechanical properties of cotton/polypropylene (PP) commingled composite system was studied with reference to the fiber content, chemical treatments with potassium permanganate and maleic anhydride modified PP, processing conditions and applied frequency. Side by side commingling of matrix and reinforcing fibers was adopted for the fabrication of composite laminates as they provide the shortest melt flow distance during the melting of matrix fibers. This method can also be used for the recycling of textile wastes. The storage modulus was found to increase with the fiber content across a range of temperatures. The loss factor was found to decrease with the increase in fiber content while the glass transition temperature increases. The chemical treatments increase the value of storage modulus. A master curve was constructed and also made a comparison between the experimental results and the theoretically predicted values. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 114:2624-2631, 2009