Influence of Nanoclay and Coupling Agent on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene/Bagasse Nanocomposite

In this work, the effects of nanoclay (1-4 wt %) and coupling agent (2 and 4 wt %) loading on the physical and mechanical properties of nanocomposites are investigated. Composites based on polypropylene (PP), bagasse flour, and nanoclay (montmorillonite type) was made by melt Compounding and then compression molding. When 1-3 wt % nanoclay was added, the tensile properties increased significantly, but then decreased slightly as the nanoclay content increased to 4%. The impact strength was 6% lower by the addition of 1 wt % nanoclay, it was decreased further when the nanoclay content increased from 1 to 4%). Finally, the water absorption of PP/bagasse composites was lowered with the increase in nanoclay content. Additionally, the coupling agent, 4 wt % MAPP, improved the mechanical and physical properties of the composites more than the 2 wt % MAPP. From these results, we can conclude that addition of nanoclay enables to achieve better physical and mechanical properties in conventional composites. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 1386-1390, 2009