Polypropylene-Bamboo/Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites: Fabrication and Analysis of Mechanical, Morphological, Thermal, and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior

Hybrid composites of polypropylene reinforced with bamboo and glass fibers (BGRP) were fabricated using an intermeshing counter rotating twin screw extruder followed by injection molding. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) has been used as a coupling agent to improve the interfacial interaction between the fibers and matrix. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were studied from tensile, flexural, and impact tests. Mechanical tests indicated an increase in tensile, flexural, and impact strength of the BGRP hybrid composites at a bamboo: glass fiber ratio of 15:15 ratio in the presence of 2 wt% of MAPP. Nearly, 69, 86, and 83% increase in tensile flexural and impact strength respectively has been observed as compared with virgin PP. The fiber matrix interfacial morphology of the tensile fractured specimens was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which showed less fiber pullout and comparatively less gaps between the fiber and the base matrix in the case of MAPP treated hybrid composites. The crystallization, melting behavior and thermal stability of the hybrid composites were investigated employing differential scanning electron microscopy (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed an increase in thermal stability of the matrix polymer with incorporation of bamboo and glass fibers, confirming the effect of hybridization and efficient fiber matrix interfacial adhesion. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed an increase in storage modulus (E') indicating higher stiffness in case of hybrid composites as compared with untreated composites and virgin matrix. The tan delta spectra presented a strong influence of fiber content and coupling agent on the alpha and gamma relaxation process of PP.