Studies of lignin as reinforcement for plastics composites

Abstract

The growing environmental concerns and depletion of fossil fuels resulted in an increased interest in environmentally friendly materials based on natural polymers. Efforts are being made to introduce the lignin in plastic composites such as polypropylene, with the aim of producing bio-based materials with desirable mechanical characteristics. In this study, blends of lignin powder and polypropylene were extruded and testing samples were produced by injection molding process. The produced materials were tested for physical, mechanical and thermal properties. The results showed that the incorporation of the lignin powder in polypropylene matrix resulted in a composite with suitable property application for various industrial fields, especially those were mechanical features are crucial, such as the replacement of engineering plastics.