Application of Oil Palm Wood Flour as Fillers in Polypropylene

Title
Application of Oil Palm Wood Flour as Fillers in Polypropylene

Author 

M J Zaini¹, Z Ismail¹, M Y A Fuad¹ and J Mustafah¹

¹Plastic Technology Group, Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM)

Abstract

The viability of using oil palm trunk wood flour (OPWF), a by-product of the oil palm industry, as a filler in polypropylene (PP) was studied. The OPWF was compounded into polypropylene using a Brabender thermoplastics mixer and a twin screw compounder. Torque of PP/OPWF composite was compared to that of neat polypropylene. The result showed that the mixing torque of polypropylene increases by adding OPWF filler into it. Test specimens of the PP/OPWF composite at 30% filter content were prepared by injection moulding, their mechanical properties evaluated and compared to a commercial PP/talc composite. The tensil properties, flexual modulus, impact strength, and melt flow index of the PP/OPWF composite were decreased only by a small margin when compared to those of PP/talc. The PP/OPWF composite, on the other hand, has better heat deflection temperature value than PP/talc. The study shows that OPWF has a good potential to be used as an alternative filter for polypropylene. The OPWF used in this study was not treated with any coupling agent.

Keywords: 

Polypropylene; Oil Palm Wood Flour; Fillers; Compounding; Composite; Mechanical Properties

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