Influence of fiber content and annealing on the thermal properties of a bamboo fiber reinforced biocomposite material

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Abstract
In the present investigation, the effects of fiber content (20, 30 and 40 wt%) and annealing heat treatment on the thermal properties of the biocomposite material formed by an isotactic polypropylene polymeric matrix (iPP) reinforced with short bamboo fibers (PP/BF) were studied. The coupling agent was iPP with grafting of maleic anhydride molecules (MAPP). The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to determine the melting temperature (Tm), crystallization temperature (Tc), and degree of crystallinity (Xc) of the biocomposites. The melting temperature of pure PP was not significantly affected by the presence of bamboo fibers. However, the degree of crystallinity of PP increased with fiber content. The annealing heat treatment caused an increase in the Tm of pure PP and PP/BF. The composite with 20 wt% fiber content (PP/20F) annealed achieved the highest Xc (37,47 %). The Tc of polypropylene increased with the presence of fibers, and the PP/20F composite reached the highest value (115 degrees C). Also, the study of the Tm of the biocomposites in amorphous state was carried out, and it was observed that the sample with a fiber content of 30 wt% presented an endothermic peak at a temperature of approximately 168 degrees C.

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