Paper number 1115

NATURAL COMPOSITES BASED ON CELLULOSIC FIBRES AND POLYPROPYLENE MATRIX - THEIR PROCESSING AND CHARACTERISATION

H. Lilholt¹, H. Toftegaard¹, A.B. Thomsen², and A.S. Schmidt²

1Materials Research Department
2Plantbiology and Biogeochemistry Department
Risų National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark

Summary

Natural fibre composites are fabricated based on jute, flax and wheat straw fibres, respectively, and a polypropylene matrix. The fibres are characterised chemically and have a high cellulose content. The treatment by wet oxidation of wheat straw may give fibres with improved surface characteristics for composite fabrication. The composites are characterised structurally and have fibre weight fractions up to 60 percent, while the fibre volume fractions show a maximum at about 30 percent; the porosity content is 2 to 30 percent. The mechanical properties of the composites show efficient reinforcement by the fibres; the composites have better strength than pure polypropylene at realistic working strains. The estimated fibre stiffness and strength values are acceptable in comparison to other estimates.

Keywords

Natural composites, cellulosic fibres, jute/polypropylene, flax/polypropylene, straw/polypropylene, physical characterisation, mechanical properties.