Effect of Processing Technology, Nanomaterial and Coupling Agent Ratio on Some Physical, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Wood Polymer Nanocomposites

The goal of this study is to find out how some properties of wood-polymer nanocomposites are affected by the processing technology, the nanomaterials, and the ratio of coupling agents. To achieve this objective, the extruded and dry blended samples are made from wood flour with MAPP, ZnO nanoparticles (0, 1, 3, and 5 wt%), and polypropylene. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites improve significantly with ZnO and MAPP loading. Due to the more homogeneous structure of nanocomposites, better mechanical results are obtained with the extrusion method. With ZnO and MAPP loading, the thermal stability of nanocomposites improves. The storage and loss modulus values indicate that the processing technology of nanocomposites could be a key factor in the resistance of the materials obtained by extrusion. The storage and loss modulus of nanocomposites manufactured by the extrusion technology are determined to be higher than those of the samples produced using the dry blending method.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of processing technology, nanomaterials, and coupling agents ratio on the properties of wood-polymer nanocomposites. Extrusion and dry blending methods were used to prepare samples with wood flour, MAPP, ZnO nanoparticles, and polypropylene. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were significantly improved with the addition of ZnO and MAPP. The extrusion method resulted in better mechanical results due to the more homogeneous structure of the nanocomposites. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites improved with the addition of ZnO and MAPP. The storage and loss modulus values indicate that the processing technology is a key factor in the resistance of the nanocomposite materials.