Development of CNF/PP Composites

Abstract

In recent years, research and development of Cellulose Nano Fiber(CNF)/polypropylene (PP) composites as a material for automobiles and home appliances has been actively carried out. Hydrophilic CNF and non-polar resin such as PP do not mix. In other words, it is the relationship between water and oil. However, the function of CNF is obtained by uniformly dispersing CNF in PP. Therefore, it is necessary to add a Maleic Anhydride-modified polypropylene(MAPP) in order to improve the dispersibility of CNF. MAPP has a structure in which maleic anhydride is grafted on a PP chain, and is an essential additive for PP composites such as Glass fiber reinforced PP(GFRPP) and Wood plastic composites(WPC). The characteristic of MAPP(graft amount, molecular weight) affects not only the dispersibility of CNF but also the mechanical properties of CNF/PP composites.
This paper introduces the functions and roles of MAPP in the development of CNF/PP composites, the examples of observing the distributed state of CNF by various methods and the examples of application using CNF/PP composites.

graphical abstract