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Procedia Engineering 10 (2011) 20462051

ICM11

Mechanical behaviour of polypropylene reinforced sugarcane

bagasse fibers composites
E. F. Cerqueiraa*, C. A. R. P. Baptistab, D. R. Mulinaria
b

a
UniFoa, Av. Paulo Erlei Alves Abrantes 1325 Trs Poos, Volta Redonda, Brazil
Department of Materials Engineering, EEL/USP - University of So Paulo, Lorena/SP, Brazil

Abstract
Recently the interest in composite materials reinforced with natural fibers has considerably increased due to the
new environmental legislation as well as consumer pressure that forced manufacturing industries to search substitutes
for the conventional materials, e.g. glass fibers. This way, the objective of paper was evaluate the effect of chemical
modification on mechanical properties of sugarcane bagasse fiber/PP composites. Fibers were pretreated with 10%
sulfuric acid solution, followed by delignification with 1% sodium hydroxide solution. These fibers were mixed with
the polypropylene in a thermokinetic mixer, and compositions with 5 to 20 wt% of fibers were obtained. The
mechanical properties were evaluated by means of tensile, 3-point bending and impact tests. In addition, fracture
analysis via SEM (secondary electrons mode) was performed. Results showed improve the tensile, flexural and
impact strength of the composites in comparison to the polymer pure.
2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of ICM11

Keywords: Sugarcane bagasse; Polypropylene; Mechanical properties.

1. Introduction
The use of natural fibers as reinforcements for composite has attracting more interest of industries [1].
Fibers reinforced polymer composites have many applications as class of structural materials because of
their ease of fabrication, relatively low cost and superior mechanical properties compared to polymer
resins [2]. For example in the automotive industry, the effort to reduce weight in order to improve fuel
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +55-24-33408400; fax: +55-24-33408404.
E-mail address: dudafercer@hotmail.com

1877-7058 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of ICM11 doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2011.04.339

E. F. Cerqueira et al. / Procedia Engineering 10 (2011) 20462051

economy and to comply with tighter governmental regulations on safety and emission has led to the
introduction of increasing amounts of plastics and composites materials in place of the traditionally used
steels [3].
Natural fibers have different origins such as wood, pulp, cotton, bark, bagasse, bamboo, cereal straw,
and vegetable (e.g., flax, jute, hemp, sisal, and ramie) [4-7]. These fibers are mainly made of cellulose,
hemicelluloses, lignin and pectins, with a small quantity of extractives. Compared to glass fiber and
carbon fibers, natural fibers provide many advantages, such as, abundance and low cost, biodegradability,
flexibility during processing and less resulting machine wear, minimal health hazards, low density,
desirable fiber aspect ratio, and relatively high tensile and flexural modulus. Incorporating the tough and
light-weight natural fibers into polymer (thermoplastic and thermosetting) matrices produces composites
with a high specific stiffness and strength [8]. However, the processes involved in using natural fibers as
reinforcement are different from those using industrial products such as a glass and carbon fibers [9].
Also the natural fibers present some drawbacks, such as the incompatibility between fibers and
polymer matrices, the tendency to form aggregates during processing and the poor resistance to moisture,
reduce the use of natural fibers as reinforcements in polymers [10]. On the other hand, there are several
methods of surface modifications to improve fibers and polymer matrices compatibility, which can be
physical or chemical according to modification technique to reduce the hydrophilic character. Frequently
treatments are bleaching, estherification, silane treatment, use of compatibilizer, plasma treatment,
acetylation, alkali treatment and treatment with other chemicals [11-15].
Mulinari et al. [16] studied bleaching of cellulose fibers from sugarcane bagasse and evidenced an
improve interfacial of the fibers and matrix.
The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of chemical modification on mechanical
properties of cellulose pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers/PP composites. The modification the fibers
were evaluated by techniques scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and
Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR). These fibers were mixed with the polypropylene in a thermokinetic
mixer, and compositions with 5 to 20 wt% of fibers were obtained.
2. Experimental
2.1. Materials description
The fibers used in this study were manufactured by Edras Ecosistema. In nature sugarcane bagasse
was pretreated with 10% sulfuric acid solution (reactor of 350 L at 120C, 10 min), followed by
centrifugation with the purpose to separate the rich pentosanes solution. Extracted lignocellulosic fraction
was delignified with 1% NaOH solution (reactor of 350L at 100C, 1 h) and as a result the crude pulp
(cellulose fibers) was obtained being obtained. Polypropylene (PP) was provided, as pellets, by
BRASKEM (Triunfo, Brazil). Its melting temperature, degree of isotacticity and density at room
temperature were 173 0C, 9398% and 0.905 g.cm-3.
2.2. Chemical characterization
FTIR allows the measurements of variations in the fibers composition after chemical treatments. The
chemical structure of in nature and pre-treated sugarcane bagasse was evaluated by FTIR
spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer). The samples were prepared by mixing the materials and KBr in a
proportion 1:200 (w/w). For all spectra, 16 scans were accumulated with a 4 cm-1 resolution.

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2.3. Morphological characterization

Prior to SEM evaluation, the specimen was coated using gold sputtering. SEM micrographs of in
nature and pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers were obtained using a JEOL JSM5310 field emission
scanning electron microscope, operated at 15 kV.
2.4. Composites preparation
Pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers were mixed with the PP in a thermokinetic mixer, model MH50H, with speed rate maintained at 5250 rpm, in which fibers were responsible for 5 to 20 wt% in the
composition. After the mixture, composites were dried and ground in mill. Composites and pure PP were
placed in an injector camera at 165 oC and 2 C min-1 heating rate in a required dimension pre-warm
mold with specific dimensions for tensile, flexural and impact specimens.
2.5. Mechanical properties
Composites were analyzed in an EMIC testing machine (model DL2000), equipped with pneumatic
claws. In the tensile tests, five specimens were analyzed, with dimensions in agreement with the ASTM D
638 standard: 19 mm width, 165 mm length and 3.2 mm thickness and 10 mm min-1 crosshead speed. In
the flexural tests, a load was applied on the specimen at 2.8 mm min-1 crosshead motion rate. Five
specimens were analyzed with dimensions in agreement with the ASTM D 790 standard: 25 mm width,
76 mm length and 3.2 mm thickness. The adopted flexural test was the 3-point at 1/3 points method. In
the impact tests, five specimens were analyzed, with dimensions in agreement with the ASTM D 6110
standard: 12 mm with, 63.5 mm length and 12 mm thickness. It was evaluate impact strength.

3. Results
3.1. FTIR characterization
Infrared spectra of in nature and pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers are displayed in Figure 1.
0,50
in nature sugarcane bagasse fibers
pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers

0,45

Absorbance (a.u.)

0,40
0,35
0,30
0,25
0,20
0,15
0,10
4000

3000

2000

1000

-1

Wavenumber (cm )

Figure 1. FTIR spectra of the in nature and pre-treated sugarcane bagasse fibers (wavenumber 400 to 4000 cm-1).

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The most visible differences between the spectra of in nature and pre-treated sugarcane baggasse fibers
2
cm-1 and 1732 cm-1, characteristics of the strretching of
are the modifications of the signal at 2885
symmetrical CH groups and stretching off unconjugated CO groups present in polysaccharides and
a xylans.
Considering the first region, the ratio between intensity of the C-H stretching band (~2900 cm
m-1) is lower
in the spectrum of the pre-treated sugarrcane bagasse fibers than observed for the in naturee sugarcane
bagasse fibers. On the other hand, at the second
s
region it may be observed modifications, especcially in the
ratio between the intensities of the C=O stretching band (~1730 cm-1).
3.2 Morphological characterization fiberss
The SEM evaluations were applieed for in nature and pre-treated sugarcane bagaasse fibers
characterizations. In nature sugarcane bagasse fibers are shown in Figure 2(a), which evidence
e
a
superficial layer with high percentage of extractives on fibers. On the other hand, a chaange in the
morphological structure of the in naturee sugarcane bagasse occurred after the pretreatment with 10%
sulfuric acid solution and delignificatioon with NaOH solution. It was observed the remooval of the
extractives on surface fibers as observed in the Figure 2(b). It was verified also that with elim
mination of
superficial layer can improve increased thhe contact area because of the exposition of fibrils (reeentrance).
3.4. Mechanical properties
Mechanical properties of studied com
mposites are summarized in Table 2. Composites show
wed distinct
mechanical properties, indicating that thee treatment affects the fibers-matrix interaction comppared to the
pure polymer (PP). However, the amounnt of added reinforcement contributes to variation of the tensile
and flexural modulus. Composites show
wed an increase of 16% in the tensile strength and 51%
5
in the
tensile modulus compared to the PP. In thhis case, the higher strength and Youngs modulus of fibers have
effectively contributed to mechanical prooperties improvement of the composite, due to a goodd fibers and
matrix interfacial bond. It is interesting too notice that, despite of the considerable discrepanciess on tensile
behaviour of the composites, flexural prooperties are slightly different, which means higher coompared to
those of PP. This result may reflect a better fibers-matrix interaction under the compressive stresses
t surface
developed in part of the transverse secttion of the specimens during bending for whatever the
condition of the fibers.

700 m
(A)
Figure 2. SEM of the sugarcane bagasse fibers: (a) in nature; (b) pre-treated.

700 m
(B)

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Table 2. Mechanical properties of the materials

Samples

Tensile strength
(MPa)

Tensile Modulus
(MPa)

Flexural strength
(MPa)

PP

19.3 1.1

955.1 93.3

27.5 0.9

Flexural
Modulus
(MPa)
906 35.8

PP/FSB5%

22.9 1.4

1105.5 22.6

34.8 2.9

1047.3 234.5

PP/FSB10%

23.0 0.6

1027.1 82.9

35.5 3.6

960.7 139.2

PP/FSB20%

22.3 0.8

1442.5 68.7

37.2 2.1

1200.8 112.9

(Reinforcement in wt%)

Impact strength of composites depends of fibers, matrix, fiber/matrix interface and the test conditions.
Experimental results in Table 3 may be explained by the interaction observed between fiber and matrix
during the mixture process. Composites (PP/FSG10% and PP/FSG20%) presented high average values
impact strength when compared to polypropylene. It was observed an increase of 45% impact strength.
This fact can be explained by good interface between fibersmatrix. These interactions between fiber and
matrix can be observed in the fractured composites after impact test.
Table 3. Results of materials obtained by impact test
Samples

Impact Strenght (J.m-2)

PP

36,1 1,1

PP/FSB5%

32,7 6,0

PP/FSB10%

45,0 0,1

PP/FSB20%

52,5 0,6

Figure 3 presets the fractured region after tests, where it was verified fibers distribution in the matrix,
fibers fractured in the matrix and pull out fibers, characterizing mechanism of fragile fracture. It was also
observed energy dissipation during the frictional process mechanics.

Figure 3. SEM of fracture surface of PP/F SB20% composites.

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Thus agro-residue modification was adequate for thermoplastics composites preparation.

4. Conclusions
The feasibility of utilizing the agro-residue as alternative reinforcement in thermoplastics was studied.
Chemical modification of cellulose fibers from sugarcane bagasse was studied to demonstrate the effect
of modification on the mechanical properties of the composites and to study the practicability of
processing these agro-residue with thermoplastics. The modification of fibers from sugarcane bagasse
was successfully accomplished and it was verified that effectively improves the tensile, flexural and
impact strength in comparison to the polymer pure.

Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful for the research support by UniFOA.

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