Influence of surface modification of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) as the reinforcement of polypropylene based composite

Abstract

Abstract—Improvement of the demand for materials with improved properties leads to acquiring the advancement of composite materials. Reinforcement of cellulose nanofibers with synthetic polymer materials is an interesting area in the polymerbased researches to enhance mechanical properties as well as to deplete environmental pollution. Polypropylene is one of the frequently used thermoplastic matrix materials in engineering composite applications. In nature, cellulose nanofiber is hydrophilic and polypropylene is hydrophobic. Therefore, surface modification of cellulose nanofibers is necessary to prepare a nanocomposite with better performance. In the present research discuss mechanical, water absorption, processability properties and morphological studies of polypropylene with up to 5 wt. % loading of unmodified and silane surface modified cellulose nanofiber reinforced composites. The results determined that there is a wide improvement of the mechanical properties of silylated cellulose nanofibers reinforced composite series than that of unmodified cellulose nanofiber reinforced series. Among that the best mechanical properties were given by the 3.5% silane surface modified cellulose nanofibers loaded polypropylene composite such as the hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength values higher than that of untreated cellulose nanofibers reinforced composite materials and pure polypropylene. The prepared nanocomposite material can be used for many engineering applications.