FERREIRA, E. S. B.; FERREIRA, EDUARDO DA SILVA BARBOSA.; FERREIRA, E.S.B.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/6980905769610776; FERREIRA, Eduardo da Silva Barbosa.
Resumo:
Nowadays, tons of industrial wood residue are daily produced, and reusing this
material otherwise would be discharged in the environment has become an
economically viable and environmentally friendly alternative for new products
processing. Thus, the present work aimed to compound Polypropylene (PP)/sawdust
residues and to investigate the influence of PP molecular weight (PP H103 and PP
H503) as also the addition of maleic anhydride grafting ethylene-propylene-diene
(EPDM-MA) compatibilizer, at three contents 5.0, 7.5, and 12.5 wt%. Composites
were melt extruded using a corrotational twin screw extruder and specimens were
injection moulded. The sawdust residue was characterized by particle size
distribution, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), whereas composites were characterized by differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), mechanical properties (impact, tensile,
flexural and hardness), thermal deflection temperature (HDT), Vicat softening
temperature, water absorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Increases
in elastic modulus, Shore D hardness, HDT and Vicat softening temperature of
binary composites were observed related to neat polymers. Nevertheless, losses
were verified in impact strength, tensile strength and elongation at break.
Compatibilized composites with EPDM-MA presented significant increase in the
impact strength; especially the compound with 10% EPDM-MA and PP H503, which
is attributed to improved interactions provided by EPDM-MA, as well as, wood filler
coated rubber particles improving the impact strength as observed through SEM
images.