Studies on In Line Compression Moulded Jute Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

Abstract

Jute is explored as potential natural fiber reinforcement for polypropylene (PP) for wide newlinerange of applications. Fabrication technique plays major role for enhancing the properties of newlinenatural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRP). Jute fiber reinforced Polypropylene newline(Jute/PP) components are compression moulded or injection moulded. Compression newlinemoulding involves higher cost and degradation of mechanical properties due to two stage newlineheating which is avoided in an industrial process called In-Line Compression Moulding newline(ILCM) which is a single step process. In ILCM, fibers are directly introduced into the newlinemolten polymer in the extruder and are directly moulded. Reports on ILCM for NFRP are newlinescarce. ILCM can accommodate different component sizes, fiber length, fiber content and newlinevolume of production. Preheating and chemical treatment of fibers which are part of newlinecompression moulding is cost inhibitive. Vacuum degassing can effectively remove moisture newlineduring extrusion and its adoption is scarcely reported. newlineProperties of NFRP are controlled by fiber related parameters such as length, content, newlineorientation and distribution in the matrix. Greater the fiber/matrix adhesion shorter is the newlinecritical fiber length. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) as coupling agent can newlineimprove wettability and composite properties. Studies on effect of Jute fibers (combed and newlinetwisted), fiber parameters and coupling agent on mechanical, thermal and rheological newlineproperties of Jute/PP processed using ILCM is first of its kind. While studies on drilling of newlineNFRP are widely reported, such studies of NFRP involving ILCM is first of its kind. Jute/PP newlineis more suitable for laser drilling because of narrow mismatch in thermal characteristics of newlinethe fiber and the matrix. Laser drilling of NFRP using ILCM is first time reported in this newlineresearch. Influence of moisture absorption on tensile behaviour was investigated. Major newlineobjective of this research was to experimentally study mechanical, thermal, rheological and newlinemoisture ab