Effect of Wood Flour Mesh Size on Mechanical Properties of Wood Flour Polypropylene (WFPP) Composites

Abstract

Wood flour was used as filler in polypropylene, a commodity plastic for making thermoplastic composites by the process of extrusion and compression molding. Adhesion between wood flour and polypropylene was improved by using maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) compatibilizer and optimum level was 1.5% (weight basis) resulting improvement in mechanical properties such as as tensile, impact, flexural and hardness. Improvement in mechanical properties was found by using higher (finer) mesh size wood flour powder. Composites thus prepared have applications in building and automobile industries.