PROCESS TO MANUFACTURE HIGH IMPACT NATURAL COMPOSITES

摘要

The use of natural fibers as reinforcing filler in thermoplastics is a relatively new innovation and has great potential to replace glass fiber products in building, consumer goods, furniture and automotive industry. Our published results demonstrated that laying natural fiber mat and polymer film in a definite pattern and orientation can enhance mechanical strength. In this invention, a unique process has been developed to manufacture high impact strength composite that contains loose natural fiber and/or a combination of loose natural fiber and natural fiber mat to develop green composites outstanding impact strength and other mechanical properties. Loose fibers used in this process can be obtained from agro-plant and wood. Mats, if used, can be obtained from similar sources. Polymer those are used include thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs), acrylic and polyester films. This invention is especially useful for natural composites with natural fiber content above 40% by weight up to 93 wt% fiber. Film stacking and fiber spraying methods were used to construct sheet, laminates and thermoforming and compression molding were used to design a product. A range of impact strength was obtained which varies from 100 J/m to as high as 250 J/m with a significant increase in flexural and tensile strengths. Products having uniform density profiles yield maximum enhancement in impact properties.