Thermal and dynamic-mechanical characterization of rice-husk filled polypropylene composites

Natural fiber-filled polymer composites have attracted great interest due to increasing environmental concerns and their low costs. In this study, the properties of rice husk flour-filled polypropylene (PP) were analysed in view of the large quantities of this agricultural product available as residue in Brazil. The rice husk flour (RHF) was characterized by SEM and particle size distribution. The properties of the composites were studied by MFI, DMA, DSC and TGA analyses. A commercial PP modified with maleic anhydride (MAPP) was used as coupling agent. It was verified that RHF decreased the MFI of the composites and that the coupling agent decreased it even more. The efficiency of MAPP was confirmed by the high storage modulus and high loss factor of the coupled composites.