Effect of Epolene E-43 as a Compatibilizer on the Mechanical Properties of Palm Fiber-Poly(propylene) Composites

Composites of palm fibers and polypropylene) (PP) were compounded in an extruder at 200°C. The composites were subsequently injection molded into standard tensile specimens for mechanical characterization. The fracture morphology of the specimens was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the composite modulus increased with the increase of fiber content, indicating the existence of adhesion between PP and the much stiffer palm fibers. However, the adhesion was not satisfactory and resulted in a decrease in the composite tensile strength with fiber addition. The compatibilizer Epolene E-43 was used to minimize this incompatibility between the wood fibers and the PP matrix. The maleated PP additive enhanced the fiber-matrix adhesion, resulting in an improvement in composite performance. Also, small fibers showed better mechanical properties than those of long fibers.