INJECTION-MOLDING OF POLYPROPYLENE REINFORCED WITH SHORT JUTE FIBERS

Composites with polypropylene (PP) and jute fiber were prepared by inj ection molding technique. Maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene was a dded as coupling agent to improve the adhesion between jute fiber and PP. A high fiber attrition was noted during injection molding, which h ad negative effects on the mechanical properties of the composites. Th e coupling agent improved the tensile and bending strengths, however t he elastic and bending moduli were found not to be influenced by the c oupling agent. The role of the average fiber length in strengthening o f the composites was interpreted with help of the critical fiber lengt h. Fracture surfaces of the composites, and the fiber orientations, we re investigated by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy, respectively. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons,Inc.