Thermal characterization of a series of lignin-based polypropylene blends

Polypropylene (PP), due to its chemical stability, is considered one of the main responsible of the increasing amount of plastic wastes on earth. To overcome this problem and to reduce the dependence of oil feedstocks, the use of lignocellulosics as fillers or reinforcements in thermoplastic materials has been increasing enormously in the last decades. In the present work, Liquid Wood (a mixture of cellulose, hemp, fax and lignin) was used to prepare, by mechanical mixing followed by thermal extrusion, blends of various PP/Liquid Wood ratios. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis experiments were performed in order to verify whether and how much the composition of the blends affects the thermal properties of the obtained compounds. Both calorimetric and thermogravimetric results indicate that the application of PP as a matrix does not limit the processing temperature of Liquid Wood, which may lead to a perfect marketable composite from these components. The addition of Liquid Wood also resulted in enhanced mechanical properties for the PP/Liquid Wood blends.