Title
Optimizing wood flour and nanoclay content of bio-based nano polymer composites (approach to thermal stability)
Authors
AFSHIN TAVASOLI and AHMAD SAMARIHA

Received February 17, 2016
Published Volume 51 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords nanoclay, notched impact, hardness, intercalation structure, thermal gravimetric analysis

Abstract
The effects of nanoclay and wood flour contents on the notched impact and hardness properties, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), limited oxygen index (LOI), and morphological characteristics of poplar flour/polypropylene (PP)/nanoclay composites were investigated. To prepare the composites, poplar wood flour was mixed with polypropylene and nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) and maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP). All the components were mixed in an extruder and the test specimens were made by injection molding. Then, the notched impact and hardness properties, thermal stability and LOI, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra were examined. The results showed that the hardness was improved and notched impact strength was reduced when increasing the wood flour content from 40% to 60%. Increasing the nanoclay content up to 4 wt% increased the notched impact strength, but decreased the hardness. The LOI improved with increasing content of wood flour and nanoclay. Increasing the amount of nanoclay led to higher ash content and improved stability. An analysis of the obtained XRD patterns led to the conclusion that an intercalation structure developed in the composite. SEM showed the composite pores and voids decreased by adding nanoclay, which determined an increase in the oxygen index.