Physico-Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of Alfa Fiber/Polypropylene Composites: Effects of Fiber Treatment and MAPP Compatibilization

This study investigates the enhancement of compatibility between natural reinforcement materials and polymer matrices, with a focus on Alfa fibers polypropylene (PP) composites. Composites Alfa fibers/PP are prepared using untreated and treated alfa fibers and with or without the addition of a MAPP compatibilizing agent. Firstly, Alfa fibers extracted from the plant are categorized into two groups: untreated and treated with a 3% (wt/v) alkaline solution followed by bleaching. This chemical treatment significantly increases the cellulose content and crystallinity index of the fibers, with improvements of 39.7% and 13.6%, respectively. Secondly, the study incorporates 5 wt% MAPP in the PP matrix as a compatibilizer. The composites produced with 30 wt% of alfa fibers are processed using a single screw extruder, followed by injection molding. Composites samples obtained are characterized using various methods. Thermal analysis reveals that the incorporation of chemically treated alfa fibers along with MAPP significantly accelerates the crystallization rate of the PP matrix, indicating the fibers’ role as effective nucleating agents. Mechanical testing shows marked improvements in the Young’s modulus and tensile strength of the composites obtained with treated alfa fibers reinforcing the MAPP-PP matrix, with increases of 1.67% and 4.61% over their untreated counterparts, respectively.