Oxygen plasma treatment of sisal fibers and polypropylene: effects on mechanical properties of composites.(Abstract): An article from: Polymer Engineering and Science

This digital document is an article from Polymer Engineering and Science, published by Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. on April 1, 2002. The length of the article is 5214 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: Polypropylene powder and sisal fibers were oxygen plasma treated, and the mechanical properties of their composites were tested. Two main effects were investigated: the incorporation of oxygen polar groups in the polypropylene surface and the surface degradation and chain scission of both polypropylene and sisal fibers. Prior to these treatments, three reactor configurations were tested to investigate the best condition for both effects to occur in PP films. Results showed that polypropylene-cellulose adhesion forces are about an order of magnitude higher for PP film treatments at 13.56 MHz than at 40 kHz owing to much higher chain scission at lower frequencies, although it probably also occurs at high frequency and high power. Polypropylene powder treated with oxygen plasmas in optimum conditions for polar group incorporation did not result in improvement in any composite mechanical property, probably owing to the polymer melting. Sisal fibers and PP powder treated in conditions of surface degradation did no t improve flexural or tensile properties but resulted in higher impact resistance, comparable to the improvement obtained with the addition of compatibilizer.

Citation Details
Title: Oxygen plasma treatment of sisal fibers and polypropylene: effects on mechanical properties of composites.(Abstract)
Author: Elisete Couto
Publication:Polymer Engineering and Science (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2002
Publisher: Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc.
Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Page: 790(8)

Article Type: Abstract

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