Preliminary study of the stiffness enhancement of wood-plastic composites using carbon nanofibers

Vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were compounded into polypropylene (PP) with southern pine wood flour (WF) by high shear melt blending to investigate the reinforcement effects of CNFs on the stiffness of conventional wood flour/plastic composites. CNF loadings of 1, 2 and 5 parts by weight per 100 parts of PP were employed with three WF levels (20, 40 and 60 parts). Maleated polypropylene (MAPP) was used as a coupling agent to improve WF to PP compatibility. The incorporation of CNFs significantly increased the modulus of elasticity of these nanocomposites with MAPP addition. The presence of 0.61 wt % of CNF within a 36.6%WF/1.83%MAPP/61%PP composite exhibited a modulus (7590 MPa) that was 59% greater than its counterpart without CNF (36.8%WF/1.84%MAPP/61.4%PP) (4783 MPa) and 90% greater than pure PP. The origin of this enhancement is not yet understood.