Characterization of cellulose acetate/low density polyethylene fibre reinforced composite

Three different compatibilizers were used; namely: Fusabond (FSB) which is a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, montanic acid (E wax), and used engine oil (UEO) were incorporated into cellulose acetate/low density polyethylene (CA/LDPE) composites at three fiber contents: 5, 15 and 30 phr. Three series of samples consisting of treated composites using coupling agents were prepared, while one group was left untreated as a reference composite. To assess the performance of the composites, different testing techniques were used. These include attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy(FTIR-ATR), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), tensile test, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis(DMTA), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The presence of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in LDPE enhanced the adhesion at the polymer/fiber interface, as reflected by the increase of Young’s modulus by 75, 166, and 245% respectively compared to neat LDPE, an increase of the storage modulus and a reduction of the damping factor value. Incorporating Fusabond was also found to affect slightly the mechanical properties with high fiber contents compared to the composites without the coupling agent by 13%. On the other hand, the use of montanic acid and used engine oil affected the cellulose acetate fibers distribution within the matrix. The UEO enhanced the dispersion but acted as a plasticizer resulting in a slight reduction of the crystallinity. Moreover, the interaction between the LDPE matrix and the CA fibres was indicated by the resulting fracture surface morphology. The results obtained suggest that the CA/LDPE composites would be suitable for packaging or used in automotive applications.