An investigation into the tribological properties of wood flour reinforced polypropylene composites

Abstract

The uncontrolled recycling activities of waste species can lead to series problems to both environment and human health. In addition, the exploration of environmentally friendly materials has been received growing interests from researchers and academicians. Herein, we investigated the tribological and mechanical properties of wood flour reinforced polypropylene (WF/PP) composites. The WF/PP complexes were successfully fabricated via a controllable injection molding approach using PP frameworks incorporating 5 wt%, 15 wt%, 25 wt%, 35 wt%, 45 wt%, and 55 wt% WF in the presence of maleated polypropylene (MA-PP) as an effective coupling agent to enhance the WF adhesion to the polymeric matrix and promote the interfacial interaction and wettability. Results demonstrate improved mechanical properties and wear resistance of the as-synthesized composites with the increment of WF content, benefiting from the robust interfacial adhesion and collaborative effects of both natural filler and polymeric components. The inherent strength of natural fibers significantly contributes to the overall strength of the resultant composites. Remarkably, the embedment of coupling agent enables superior properties to certain dozens of WF due to further impregnation of filler along the matrix. Thus, our developed synthesis method holds a promise as efficient pathway to fabricate hybrids comprising polymer and natural fibers to achieve a maximum utilization.