Injection molding of coir coconut fiber reinforced polyolefin blends: mechanical, viscoelastic, thermal behavior and three-dimensional microscopy Study

In this study, the properties of a polyolefin blend matrix (PP-HDPE) were evaluated and modified through the addition of raw coir coconut fibers-(CCF). PP-HDPE-CCF biocomposites were prepared using melt blending processes with CCF loadings up to 30% (w/w). CCF addition generates an increase of the tensile and flexural modulus up to 78% and 99% compared to PP HDPE blend. This stiffening effect is caused by a decrease in the polymeric chain mobility due to CCF, the higher mechanical properties of the CCF compared to the polymeric matrix and could be an advantage for some biocomposites applications. Thermal characterizations show that CCF incorporation increases the PP-HDPE thermal stability up to 63 ◦C, slightly affecting the melting behavior of the PP and HDPE matrix. DMA analysis shows that CCF improves the PP-HDPE blend capacity to absorb higher external loads while exhibiting elastic behavior maintaining its characteristics at higher temperatures. Also, the three-dimensional microscopy study showed that CCF particles enhance the dimensional stability of the PP-HDPE matrix and decrease manufacturing defects as shrinkagein injected specimens. This research opens a feasible opportunity for considering PP-HDPE-CCF biocomposites as alternative materials for the design and manufacturing of sustainable products by injection moldin

Morphological Electrical and Hardness Characterization of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Nanocomposite Plates

The impacts on the morphological, electrical and hardness properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcing fillers have been investigated, using MWCNT loadings between 1 and 7 wt%. Plates of the TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by compression molding from extruded pellets. An X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the TPU polymer matrix increases the ordered range of the soft and hard segments. SEM images revealed that the fabrication route used here helped to obtain TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites with a uniform dispersion of the nanotubes inside the TPU matrix and promoted the creation of a conductive network that favors the electronic conduction of the composite. The potential of the impedance spectroscopy technique has been used to determine that the TPU/MWCNT plates exhibited two conduction mechanisms, percolation and tunneling conduction of electrons, and their conductivity values increase as the MWCNT loading increases. Finally, although the fabrication route induced a hardness reduction with respect to the pure TPU, the addition of MWCNT increased the Shore A hardness behavior of the TPU plates