Thermal Degradation of Natural Fiber-reinforced Polypropylene Composites

The objective of the present article was to study the thermal degradation behavior of natural fiber polypropylene composites. Composite materials composed of 50% various natural fibers (wood flour, rice hulls, newsprint, and kenaf fibers) and polypropylene were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of compatibilzer on the thermal stability of the composites was also evaluated. Contributions of components of one composite formulation to thermal degradation were also evaluated. It was found that among natural fibers, rice hulls were the least thermally stable ones in a polypropylene matrix. The compatibilizer slightly reduced thermal stability while enhancing fiber-matrix interaction and fractional crystallinity. The overall thermal degradation profile of the composite materials was found to be a more or less arithmetic average of those of the components.