Mechanical and physical properties of lignocellulosic plastic composite from hybrid sugarcane baggase and mixed tropical hardwood / Nurfatiha Zainal Abidin

Production of Lignocellulosic Plastic Composite (LPC) using wood wastes and
agricultural waste is the best way to use waste for beneficial use. Hence, the use of
waste and fibers from agricultural waste as an alternative to natural wood for the
manufacture of Lignocellulosic Plastic Composite. The aim of the study was to
determine the effect of filler loading and types of filler on the mechanical &
physical properties of lignocellulosic plastic composite. Four types of filler used
are Neat Polypropylene (PP), Sugarcane Bagasse, Mixed Tropical Hardwood and
Hybrid Composite (combination of Sugarcane Bagasse and Mixed Tropical
Hardwood). In this study, three filler loading were used 10% filler loading, 15%
filler loading and 20% filler loading with different types of filler loading. Types of
filler and filler loading were main factors that affect the mechanical & physical
properties of lignocellulosic plastic composite in this study. There are two types of
testing that have been conducted such as mechanical testing and physical testing.
The mechanical testing which included tensile testing and bending testing while
physical testing including water absorption testing (WA) and thickness swelling
testing (TS). The result had shown that filler loading had significant effect on tensile
MOE and thickness swelling. For the types of filler, only bending MOE have
significant effect. The interaction between filler loading and types of filler shows
only tensile MOE have significant effect. At higher filler loading, mechanical
properties such as tensile MOE and tensile MOR had showed highest value as
compared to lower of filler loading. However, bending MOR was showed opposite
effect. Physical properties such as water absorption and thickness swelling was
increased at higher filler loading.