Publication: Quiescent crystallization of natural fibers-polypropylene composites
Issued Date
2007-12-05
Resource Type
ISSN
10974628
00218995
00218995
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2-s2.0-35948946906
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Mahidol University
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Applied Polymer Science. Vol.106, No.5 (2007), 2997-3006
Suggested Citation
Usa Somnuk, Gerhard Eder, Pranee Phinyocheep, Nitinat Suppakarn, Wimonlak Sutapun, Yupaporn Ruksakulpiwat Quiescent crystallization of natural fibers-polypropylene composites. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. Vol.106, No.5 (2007), 2997-3006. doi:10.1002/app.26883 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/24326
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Title
Quiescent crystallization of natural fibers-polypropylene composites
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Abstract
The effect of natural fibers (vetiver grass and rossells) on quiescent crystallization of polypropylene (PP) composites was analyzed in this study. Also, equilibrium melting temperature (Tm0) of the composites was elucidated. Natural fiber-PP composites showed lower Tm0when compared to neat PP. Thermal analysis was performed via differential scanning calorimeter to study the crystallization kinetics. Natural fiber-PP composites exhibited higher rate of crystallization than that of neat PP. Furthermore, spherulitic growth rate and transcrystallinity of the composites were investigated under a polarized light optical microscope. It was found that the growth rates of the composites were lower than that of neat PP. The spherulitic growth rates combined with the crystallization rates were used to calculate number of effective nuclei. It was shown that the number of effective nuclei of the composites was higher than that of neat PP. This suggested that natural fibers could act as a nucleating agent in the composite. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.