Polypropylene-oil palm empty fruit bunch-glass fibre hybrid composites: a preliminary study on the flexural and tensile properties

Polypropylene (PP hybrid composites were made using oil palm empty fruit bu nch (EFB) and glass fibres (GF) as reinforcing agents in PP matrix. The inc orporation of both fibres into PP matrix has resulted in the reduction of f lexural and tensile strengths. Both flexural and tensile modulus have been improved with the increasing level of overall fibre content loading. Three types of coupling agents, i.e. maleic-anhydride-modified PP (commercial nam e Epolene; E-43), polymethylenepolyphenyl isocyanate (PMPPIC) and 3-(trimet hoxysilyl)-propylmethacrylate (TPM), were attempted. Overall, E-43 and TPM had imparted considerable improvements in the flexural and tensile properti es. However, only slight improvements in some cases were shown for those co mposites treated with PMPPIC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.