Study the impact of coupling agent and fiber length on wood plastic composite

• Main Author: Afidatun Najwa, Mohd Sani
• Format: Undergraduates Project Papers
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/6989/1/Study_The_Impact_Of_Coupling_Agent_And_Fiber_Length.pdf; http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/6989/

In the past decades, composite industries are seeking more environmental friendly materials for their products. Because of an increasing interest in biodegradable renewable composites reinforced with plant fiber, wood plastic composite (WPC) come out with characteristic as a green composite which is biodegradable. WPC is made of wood fiber, recycle polypropylene and coupling agent. For optimizing the impact of mechanical and physical properties on WPC, three most important variables including fiber length, coupling agent, orientation of fiber were investigated. Extrusion and hot press plate are the processes involve in this experiment to produce WPC. Then, WPC will go through four testing which are Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA), Tensile and Flexural testing. Based on the result obtained, the relation of fiber length is directly proportional to tensile strength and stress transfer. Furthermore, the parallel orientation is the best of fiber orientation that will increase the mechanical properties besides coupling agent at 4% will achieve optimum level to increase the strength bonding between wood fibers and polypropylene. Therefore, wood plastic composite (WPC) can give good impact to our economy due to their advantages to environment and human.