Maleated coupling agents for natural fibre composites

Maleated coupling agents are widely used to strengthen composites containing fillers and fibre reinforcements. The established role of MaPOs results from two main factors, economical manufacturing and the efficient interaction of maleic anhydride with the functional surface of fibre reinforcements. Peak performance was demonstrated in agrofibre polypropylene composites by selecting a maleated coupler that has the appropriate balance of molecular weight and maleic anhydride content. The flexural and tensile strengths of the 30% agrofibre composites increased by more than 60% with Epolene(TM) G-3015. Newly developed MaPE couplers for the wood-polyethylene market demonstrate superior performance compared against other potential polyolefin coupling agents. Results indicate that the new polyethylene couplers at 3% loading can double the tensile strength and triple the impact properties compared to non-coupled blend of wood and polyethylene. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.