Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 7;14(3):629.
doi: 10.3390/polym14030629.

New Synthesis Routes toward Improvement of Natural Filler/Synthetic Polymer Interfacial Crosslinking

Mahmoud M A Nassar  1   2 , Belal J Abu Tarboush  3 , Khalid I Alzebdeh  2 , Nasr Al-Hinai  2 , Tasneem Pervez  2
Affiliations

New Synthesis Routes toward Improvement of Natural Filler/Synthetic Polymer Interfacial Crosslinking

Mahmoud M A Nassar et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Among the critical issues dictating bio-composite performance is the interfacial bonding between the natural fibers and polymer matrix. In this regard, this article presents new synthesis routes comprising the treatment and functionalization of both date palm powder (DPP) filler and a polypropylene (PP) matrix to enhance filler-polymer adhesion in the newly developed bio-composites. Specifically, four bio-composite forms are considered: untreated DPP filled PP (DPP-UT/PP), treated DPP filled PP (DPP-T/PP), treated DPP filled functionalized PP using 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (DPP-T/PP-g-IEM), and treated and functionalized DPP using 4-toluenesulfonyl chloride filled functionalized PP using 2-acrylamide ((DPP-T)-g-TsCl/PP-g-AcAm). The functional groups created on the surface of synthesized PP-g-IEM react with activated hydroxyl groups attached to the filler, resulting in chemical crosslinking between both components. Similarly, the reaction of TsCl with NH2 chemical groups residing on the mating surfaces of the filler and polymer generates an amide bond in the interface region. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to confirm the successful coupling between the filler and polypropylene matrix after applying the treatment and functionalization schemes. Owing to the introduced crosslinking, the DPP-T/PP-g-IEM bio-composite exhibits the best mechanical properties as compared to the neat polymer, unfunctionalized polymer-based bio-composite, and (DPP-T)-g-TsCl/PP-g-AcAm counterpart. The applied compatibilizers assist in reducing the water uptake of the manufactured bio-composites, increasing their durability.

Keywords: bio-composites; compatibilizers; filler–polymer compatibility; functionalization; interfacial bonding.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflict to declare.

Figures

Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Chemical structure and properties of (a) IEM, (b) AcAm, and (c) TsCl chemical groups.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Particle size measurement and distribution: (a) DPP-UT; (b) DPP-T.
Scheme 2
Scheme 2
Schematic representation for PP-g-IEM.
Scheme 3
Scheme 3
Schematic representation of PP-g-AcAm.
Scheme 4
Scheme 4
Schematic representation of (DPP-T)-g-TsCl.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic illustration of the manufacturing process used for the developed bio-composites.
Scheme 5
Scheme 5
Proposed coupling reactions of (a) DPP-T/PP-g-IEM and (b) (DPP-T)-g-TsCl-/PP-g-AcAm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FTIR spectra of DPP-UT, DPP-T, and (DPP-T)-g-TsCl.
Figure 4
Figure 4
FTIR spectra of DPP-UT/PP and DPP-T/PP.
Figure 5
Figure 5
FTIR spectra of PP, PP-g-IEM, DPP-T/PP, and DPP-T/PP-g-IEM.
Figure 6
Figure 6
FTIR spectra of PP, PP-g-AcAm, DPP/PP, and (DPP-T)-g-TsCl/PP-g-AcAm.
Figure 7
Figure 7
SEM images of the untreated, treated, and functionalized fillers.
Figure 8
Figure 8
SEM micrographs of fractured surfaces of the tested tensile specimens.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The tensile properties of the developed bio-composites at 20% DPP filler content: (a) tensile strength; (b) Young’s modulus; (c) elongation at break; (d) stress–strain curve.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The flexural properties of the developed bio-composites at 20% DPP filler content: (a) flexural strength; (b) flexural modulus; (c) stress–strain curve.
Figure 11
Figure 11
XRD patterns of DPP fillers (the values in brackets indicate the degrees of crystallinity).
Figure 12
Figure 12
(a) TGA and (b) DTG curves of DPP-UT, DPP-T, and (DPP-T)-g-TsCl.
Figure 13
Figure 13
DTG curves of the developed bio-composites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Khalid M.Y., Al Rashid A., Arif Z.U., Ahmed W., Arshad H., Zaidi A.A. Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites: Sustainable Materials for Emerging Applications. Results Eng. 2021;11:100263. doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2021.100263. - DOI
    1. Sadik T., Muthuraman S., Sivaraj M., Negash K., Balamurugan R., Bakthavatsalam S. Mechanical Behavior of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Coir and Date Palm Frond Fibers. Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng. 2022;2022:9882769. doi: 10.1155/2022/9882769. - DOI
    1. Barton-Pudlik J., Czaja K. Fast-Growing Willow (Salix Viminalis) As A Filler in Polyethylene Composites. Compos. Part B Eng. 2018;143:68–74. doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.01.031. - DOI
    1. Saba N., Jawaid M. A Review on Thermomechanical Properties of Polymers and Fibers Reinforced Polymer Composites. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 2018;67:1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.jiec.2018.06.018. - DOI
    1. Alzebdeh K.I., Nassar M.M.A., Al-Hadhrami M.A., Al-Aamri O., Al-Defaai S., Al-Shuaily S. Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Aligned Date Palm Frond Fiber-Reinforced Low-Density Polyethylene. J. Eng. Res. 2017;14:115–123. doi: 10.24200/tjer.vol14iss2pp115-123. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources