Recent developments in annual growth lignocellulosics as reinforcing fillers in thermoplastics
- Forest Products Lab., Madison, WI (United States); and others
Recent interest in reducing the environmental impact of materials is leading to the development of newer agricultural based materials that can reduce the stress to the environment. Several billion pounds of fillers and reinforcements are used annually in the plastics industry and their use is likely to increase, to reduce the amount of plastics used in a product, with improved compounding technology and new coupling agents. The use of lignocellulosic fibers (eg. kenaf, jute, etc.) as reinforcing fillers in plastics has generated significant interest in recent years. The use of lignocellosic fibers permit the use of high volume fillings due to their lower densities and non-abrasive properties, and therefore reduces the use of plastics in a product. The specific tensile and flexural moduli of a 50% weight of glass fiber-PP injection molded composite and are superior to typical calcium carbonate or talc based PP composites. Results indicate that annual growth lignocellulosic wastes and fibers are viable reinforcing fillers as long as the right processing conditions and aids are used, and for applications where the higher water absorption of the agro-base fiber composite is not critical.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 115338
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP--200-8098; CONF-9508104--; ON: DE95009230; CNN: Grant 9303555
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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