Mechanical Properties of Recycled Polypropylene Filled with Aluminium Hydroxide

Abstract:

The present work aims to study the prospects of the efficient utilization of aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)₃ as a filler for thermoplastic recycled polymer. Recycled polypropylene (rPP) has been used as polymer matrix to prepare composites with different levels (25 and 50 wt.%) of aluminium hydroxide filler. Maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent has also been incorporated into rPP composites to facilitate particle dispersion. MAPP treated composites have shown up to 20% improvement in tensile strength and an increment of up to 33% in tensile modulus as compared to neat rPP prepared at 25 wt.% and 50 wt.% Al(OH)₃ filler content, respectively. MAPP surface treatment enhancement of interfacial adhesion between rPP matrix and Al(OH)₃ filler is evident through SEM micrographs. Al(OH)₃ filler strongly influences the flammability of rPP composites, with a significant reduction in average ignition time. The flame retardancy of MAPP treated rPP composite surpasses untreated rPP composite, despite the insignificant amount of difference between the two.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1010)
• Pages: 130-135
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1010.130
• Online since: September 2020
• Authors: Yong Guan Goh, Anis Sofia Sufian*, Noridah Mohamad, Nur Afiqah
• Keywords: Flammability, Inorganic Filler, Maleic Anhydride-Grafted Polypropylene, Mechanical Properties, Recycled Polymer

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