Production and characterization of a hybrid composite of polypropylene reinforced with piassava (Attalea Funifera Martius) fiber and light green clay

Abstract

Waste materials have been frequently used as reinforcing materials, to obtain a composite with better properties. Piassava palm is native to the state of Bahia (Brazil) and its fiber, piassava fiber (PF) is a waste material frequently used for industrial and domestic brooms, industrial brushes, carpets, and roofs. The light green clay (LGC) is a natural smectite Brazilian clay from the state of Paraiba. This work aims to produce and evaluate the advantages of this new product achieved by the inclusion of these two natural materials into polypropylene (PP) matrix. A melting extrusion process, using a twin-screw extruder and injection molding machine was used to obtain PP/LGC (97/3 wt%), PP/PF (90/10 wt%) and PP/LGC/PF (87/3/10 wt%) composites. The materials were characterized by mechanical tests, TG, DSC, SEM, and XRD analysis.