Hybrid composites made from recycled materials: Moisture absorption and thickness swelling behavior

In this research, hybrid composite materials were made from the combination of recycled newspaper fiber (RNF) and poplar wood flour (PWF) as reinforcement, recycled polypropylene (RPP) as polymer matrix, and maleated polypropylene (MAPP) as coupling agent, by using injection molding. The effects of weight fractions of fibers and coupling agent concentration on the physical properties of the composites in terms of water absorption and thickness were studied. Composites containing more fraction of RNF exhibited maximum water absorption during the whole duration of immersion. This effect can be explained by the presence of a high amount of holocellulose present in the RNF, compared to the PWF. The addition of MAPP exhibited a beneficial effect on both the water absorption and thickness swelling by improving the quality of adhesion between polymer and fibers. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.