Water Desorption Kinetics of Polymer Composites with Cellulose Fibers as Filler

Abstract

The water desorption kinetics of polymer composite systems with hydrophilic cellulose fibers from recycled paper (PSP) filler embedded in various polymer matrices (hydrophobic thermoset epoxy resin [EP] and thermoplastic polypropylene [PP], and hydrophilic thermoplastic poly[vinyl alcohol] [PVA]) was studied. Polymer composites test pieces containing 0, 3, 6, 9, and 30 wt. % of fibers were prepared. Adhesion between fibers and polymer matrices was improved by utilization of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent in the case of thermoplastic matrices (both PP and PVA). Water desorption tests were conducted after immersing test pieces in a distilled water bath at room temperature for 24 h. Study of the water desorption kinetics proved the expected enhanced absorption of the resulting composites after incorporation of cellulose fibers. A difference between two similar types of PVA by measurement of the desorption kinetics was found.

Keywords:

• fibers from recycled paper
• thermoset matrix
• thermoplastic matrix
• coupling agent
• polymer composites
• water desorption kinetics

Acknowledgements

The authors thank H.-J. Endres for his help in the test pieces preparation. We thank Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic for financial support (grant No. 4674788501).