Files and links (2)
Combining Fiber Enzymatic Pretreatments and Coupling Agents to Improve Physical and Mechanical Properties of Hemp Hurd Wood Polypropylene Composite4.44 MB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Combining Fiber Enzymatic Pretreatments and Coupling Agents to Improve Physical and Mechanical Properties of Hemp Hurd/Wood/Polypropylene Composite
Materials, Vol.14(21), pp.1-12
2021
Abstract
Natural fiber/plastic composites combine the low density and excellent mechanical properties of the natural fiber with the flexibility and moisture resistance of the plastic to create materials tailored to specific applications in theory. Wood/plastic composites (WPC) are the most common products, but many other fibers are being explored for this purpose. Among the more common is hemp hurd. Natural fibers are hydrophilic materials and plastics are hydrophobic, therefore one problem with all of these products is the limited ability of the fiber to interact with the plastic to create a true composite. Thus, compatibilizers are often added to enhance interactions, but fiber pretreatments may also help improve compatibility. The effects of pectinase or cellulase pretreatment of wood/hemp fiber mixtures in combination with coupling agents were evaluated in polypropylene panels. Pretreatments with pectinase or cellulase were associated with reduced thickness swell (TS24h) as well as increased modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity. Incorporation of 5.0% silane or 2.5% silane/2.5% titanate as a coupling agent further improved pectinase-treated panel properties, but was associated with diminished properties in cellulase treated fibers. Combinations of enzymatic pretreatment and coupling agents enhanced fiber/plastic interactions and improved flexural properties, but the effects varied with the enzyme or coupling agent employed. The results illustrate the potential for enhancing fiber/plastic interactions to produce improved composites.
Details
- Title
- Combining Fiber Enzymatic Pretreatments and Coupling Agents to Improve Physical and Mechanical Properties of Hemp Hurd/Wood/Polypropylene Composite
- Authors
- Xiaoping Li (Author) - Southwest Forestry UniversityMingli Qiang (Author) - Southwest Forestry UniversityMingwei Yang (Author) - Southwest Forestry UniversityJeffrey J Morrell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design LifeNeng Zhang (Author) - Southwest Forestry University
- Publication details
- Materials, Vol.14(21), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.3390/ma14216384
- ISSN
- 1996-1944
- Copyright note
- Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99582008902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
19 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Chemistry, Physical
- Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
- Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
- Physics, Applied
- Physics, Condensed Matter