ANALYSIS OF THE ISOTHERMAL CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLY-PROPYLENE/WOOD FLOUR COMPOSITES

Isothermal crystallization and melting of isotactic polypropylene in binary polypropylene-wood flour composites has been studied by DSC, and the influence of an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer interfacial agent analyzed. Wood flour induces a slight nucleating effect, reducing the basal interfacial free energy of nucleation and increasing the overall crystallization rate. The interfacial agent generates a compatibilization phenomenon and an increase in the basal interfacial free energies with respect to the binary composites. In both binary and ternary systems the melting behaviour is a function of undercooling and is unaltered by the presence of either wood flour or the interfacial agent.