Jute/polypropylene composites: Effect of enzymatic modification on thermo-mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties

• Autor(a) principal: Ni, Xiaoyan
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Dong, Aixue, Fan, Xuerong, Wang, Qiang, Yu, Yuanyuan, Cavaco-Paulo, Artur
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/38733
• topic: Jute/PP composites; Laccase; Alkyl gallates; Hydrophobic modification; Tensile; Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties; Thermal and dynathic mechanical properties; Science & Technology

In this study, a high-performance composite was prepared from jute fabrics and polypropylene (PP). In order to improve the compatibility of the polar fibers and the non-polar matrix, alkyl gallates with different hydrophobic groups were enzymatically grafted onto jute fabric by laccase to increase the surface hydrophobicity of the fiber. The grafting products were characterized by FTIR. The results of contact angle and wetting time showed that the hydrophobicity of the jute fabrics was improved after the surface modification. The effect of the enzymatic graft modification on the properties of the jute/PP composites was evaluated. Results showed that after the modification, tensile and dynamic mechanical properties of composites improved, and water absorption and thickness swelling clearly decreased. However, tensile properties drastically decreased after a long period of water immersion. The thermal behavior of the composites was evaluated by TGA/DTG. The fiber-matrix morphology in the modified jute/PP composites was confirmed by SEM analysis of the tensile fractured specimens.