Morphological and Mechanical Property Analysis of Rice Husk Reinforced Polypropylene Composite

Abstract

A polymer is a large molecule made up of many subunits. In general, pure polymer is rarely used due to the fact that the most of the physical properties gets enhanced if used in combined form, called composite. Polymer composite refers to the material, that consists of polymer as a matrix or resin and natural fiber reinforcing as a filler, that can improve mechanical properties when compared with pure polymeric materials. The inherent properties of rice husk, such as its abundance, low density, and biodegradability, make it an attractive candidate for enhancing the tensile, flexural, and impact strength of resultant composite material. Previous research provides information regarding polypropylene, Rice Husk and the property of their composite. This study deeply explores the usage of rice husk as a renewable, sustainable and cost-effective filler by varying proportion (10, 20, 30 and 40%) and size (below 212, 212 to 425 and 425 to 1000 microns) to improve the mechanical performance of Polypropylene-based composite, demonstrating the relation between variation of temperature, filler size, filler proportion with the property and structural integrity of composite.