Effect of reactive additives on the performance of cellulose fiber-filled polypropylene composites

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Abstract
The role of boron compounds on the flame retardance characteristics of unmodified as well as surface-modified wood fiber-filled polypropylene composites is discussed. The effect of three different additives, m-phenylene bismaleimide (BMI), BMI-modified polypropylene (BPP), and a mixture of borax and boric acid, on the mechanical properties of various cellulosic fiber-filled polypropylene composites was also investigated. BPP showed the greatest effect on composite strength. The combination of BPP with a 35/65 (weight ratio) explosion fiber/polymer resulted in a composite with greater tensile strength in comparison with virgin polypropylene. Although the addition of BMI to the filled composite marginally decreases the strength of the virgin polymer, the performance of these modified composites is much better compared with that of unmodified ones. Overall, these findings indicate that BPP and BMI impart some degree of interaction between the cellulosic filler and polypropylene, particularly in the interfacial region, which results in improvements in the mechanical properties. The positive effect of adding BMI on the composite properties was significantly inhibited when the fibers were pretreated with boron compounds.

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