Waste Paper Filled Polypropylene Composites: the Comparison Effect of Ethylene Diamine Dilaurate as a New Compatibilizer with Maleic Anhydride Polypropylene

The effect of a new compatibilizer, ethylene diamine dilaurate (EDD) and a commercial compatibilizer, maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) on the processability, mechanical properties, water absorption, thermal properties and morphology of waste paper (WP) filled polypropylene (PP) composites were studied. The results show that WP filled PP with EDD has better processability, higher elongation at break (E _b ), impact and flexural strengths but lower tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and water absorption resistance compared to MAPP. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of impact fractured surfaces exhibits the evidence of better impact strength of WP filled PP composites with EDD over MAPP, but the tensile fractured surfaces exhibit opposite characteristics. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra provide an evidence of interaction between EDD or MAPP with WP in PP composites. Thermogravimetry analysis show that the addition of EDD or MAPP was found to improve the thermal stability of WP filled PP composites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also indicates that WP filled PP composites with EDD or MAPP have slightly higher heat fusion (ΔH _f (com)) and crystallinity (χ _com ) than PP/WP composites without compatibilizer.