Manoranjan Biswal

Mechanical, Thermal Degradation, and Flammability Studies on Surface Modified Sisal Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene Composites

The effect of surface treated sisal fiber on the mechanical, thermal, flammability, and morphological properties of sisal fiber (SF) reinforced recycled polypropylene (RPP) composites was investigated. The surface of sisal fiber was modified with different chemical reagent such as silane, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and O-hydroxybenzene diazonium chloride (OBDC) to improve the compatibility with the matrix polymer. The experimental results revealed an improvement in the tensile strength to 11%, 20%, and 31.36% and impact strength to 78.72%, 77%, and 81% for silane, GMA, and OBDC treated sisal fiber reinforced recycled Polypropylene (RPP/SF) composites, respectively, as compared to RPP. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and heat deflection temperature (HDT) results revealed improved thermal stability as compared with RPP. The flammability behaviour of silane, GMA, and OBDC treated SF/RPP composites was studied by the horizontal burning rate by UL-94. The morphological analysis through scanning electron micrograph (SEM) supports improves surface interaction between fiber surface and polymer matrix.

Effect of Mercerized Banana Fiber on the Mechanical and Morphological Characteristics of Organically Modified Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Nanocomposites

Natural fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites at different weight percentages of fiber content were fabricated using a Haake twin screw extruder, followed by compression molding with the presence maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA-g-PP) as a compatibilizer. Incorporation of both the fibers and nanoclay into PP matrix resulted in an increase in mechanical properties with an increasing level of fiber content up to 30 wt% and 3 wt% of nanoclay with 5 wt% of compatibilizer. The morphology of the fiber-reinforced PP-nanocomposites has been examined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively.

Recycling of engineering plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipments : Influence of virgin polycarbonate and impact modifier on the final performance of blends

This study is focused on the recovery and recycling of plastics waste, primarily polycarbonate, poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) and high impact polystyrene, from end-of-life waste electrical and electronic equipments. Recycling of used polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/high impact polystrene material was carried out using material recycling through a melt blending process. An optimized blend composition was formulated to achieve desired properties from different plastics present in the waste electrical and electronic equipments. The toughness of blended plastics was improved with the addition of 10 wt% of virgin polycarbonate and impact modifier (ethylene-acrylic ester-glycidyl methacrylate). The mechanical, thermal, dynamic-mechanical and morphological properties of recycled blend were investigated. Improved properties of blended plastics indicate better miscibility in the presence of a compatibilizer suitable for high-end application.

Mechanical and thermal degradation behavior of sisal fiber (SF) reinforced recycled polypropylene (RPP) composites

The present investigation focuses on the effect of fiber surface treatment on the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of sisal fiber (SF) reinforced recycled polypropylene (RPP) composites. The surface of sisal fiber was modified using different chemicals such as silane, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and O-hydroxybenzene diazonium chloride (OBDC) to improve the compatibility between fiber surface and polymer matrix. The experimental results revealed an improvement in the tensile strength to 11 %, 20 % and 31.36 % and impact strength to 78.72 %, 77 % and 81 % for silane, GMA and OBDC treated sisal fiber reinforced recycled polypropylene (RPP/SF) composites respectively as compared to RPP. The thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and heat deflection temperature (HDT) results revealed improved thermal stability as compared with RPP. The morphological analysis through scanning electron micrograph (SEM) supports improves surface interaction between fiber surface and polymer matrix.

Banana fiber-reinforced polypropylene nanocomposites: Effect of fiber treatment on mechanical, thermal, and dynamic-mechanical properties

Banana fiber-reinforced nanocomposites were fabricated by melt mixing in a twin-screw extruder followed by compression molding in this study. Maleic anhydride polypropylene copolymer (MA-g-PP) was used as a compatibilizer to increase the compatibility between the PP matrix, clay, and banana fiber to enhance exfoliation of organoclay and dispersion of fibers into the polymer matrix. Variation in mechanical, thermal, and physico-mechanical properties with the addition of banana fiber into the PP nanocomposites was investigated. It was observed that presence 3 wt% of nanoclay and 5 wt% MA-g-PP within PP matrix results in an increase in tensile and flexural strengths by 41.3%, and 45.6%, respectively, compared with virgin PP due to the high aspect ratio of clay stacks in the fully exfoliated nanocomposites. Further, incorporation of 30 wt% banana fiber in PP nanocomposites system increases the tensile and flexural strengths to the tune of 27.1%, and 15.8%, respectively. The morphology of fiber-reinforced PP nanocomposites has been examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Significant enhancement in thermal stability of nanocomposites was also observed due to the presence of nanoclay under thermogravimetric analysis. Dynamic mechanical analysis tests revealed an increase in storage modulus (E′) and damping factor (tan δ), conforming the strong interaction between nanoclay/banana fiber and MA-g-PP in the fiber-reinforced nanocomposites systems.

Effect of reactive compatibilizers and impact modifier on the performance characteristics of polycarbonate/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) blends obtained from E-waste

Interfacial agents such as compatibilizers have recently been introduced into polymer blends to improve microstructure and mechanical properties of thermoplastics materials. This method is proven to be an effective way to prepare a mixture of polymeric materials from E-waste that can have superior mechanical properties over a wide temperature range. This study is focused on the characterization and mechanical recycling of plastics, namely Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and PC/ABS blends via melt blending technique. Mechanical characterization of prepared blend has been carried out to determine the optimum composition range. The experimental results showed that the prepared blends were incompatible in nature. Addition of maleic anhydride grafted ABS and SBS suggests improved compatibility and impact performance. The grafting mechanism of MA into ABS was explored, which is considered as a key factor resulting a special morphology of ABS domains dispersed in PC matrix. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and morphology results revealed improved stability as compared to recycled plastics.

Recovery and utilisation of non-metallic fraction from waste printed circuit boards in polypropylene composites

Extreme complexity in the range of polymer composition in waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) will leave us to follow a series of steps to formulate an efficient recycling system. The current study deals with the recovery and utilisation of non-metallic fractions from WPCBs through dismantling, size reduction and sieve analysis. Density based techniques have been adopted in the current studies to separate the non-metallic fractions from metallic one due to its simplicity and cost effectiveness. The non-metallic fractions are quantified through sieve analysis and are utilised as reinforcing filler material in polypropylene matrix. Composite material with WPCBs has been prepared via melt blending techniques and is subjected to mechanical, thermal and morphological analysis to investigate its feasibility for automobile application.

Multi-Stage Recycling Induced Morphological Transformations in Solid-State Microcellular Foaming of Polystyrene

In this article, the general-purpose polystyrene was reprocessed four times. The effect of repeated reprocessing of polystyrene on its polymeric properties and on its microcellular, foaming behaviour were investigated. It was observed that reprocessing leads to break of long polymeric chains into short chains, which resulted increment in PDI and MFI. Molecular weight and Glass transition temperature were found to decrease with increasing recycling stages. Reprocessing resulted abruptly decrement in viscosity of neat polystyrene. Effect of reprocessing on foaming behaviour was analysed properly in this report and it was found that reprocessing resulted in improvement in cell sizes and their distribution. A positive effect on expansion ratio was also observed during foaming of reprocessed specimens. Cell density was found to decrease with increasing recycling stages. The effect of saturation pressure and foaming temperature on microcellular foam morphology along with recycling were investigated. Effect of foaming time on cell size, cell size distribution, cell density, expansion ratio and cell wall thickness was investigated.