Sisal Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene (rPP) Biocomposite: Characterization of Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Properties

Recycled Polypropylene (rPP) obtained from used car bumpers was reinforced with short sisal fibers (SF) employing melt blending technique. Fiber loading was optimized to 40 wt% and the influence of the reinforcement on mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of sisal fiber reinforced rPP biocomposite was investigated. The surface of sisal fiber was modified using NaOH solution and maleic anhydride grafted PP (MA-g-PP) has been used as a compatibilizer. Mechanical findings revealed an increase in the strength and modulus of rPP to the tune of 24.38% and 339% in case of the composite prepared using 40 wt% of fiber loading and 5 wt% of MA-g-PP. Tensile strength and modulus were also theoretically calculated through Turcsanyi and Sato-Furukawa model. The thermal behavior in the biocomposites has been evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively. The heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the rPP biocomposite also increased with the incorporation of sisal fiber and MA-g-PP. The morphology in the biocomposite has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).