Document Type : Original research
Authors
1 İzmir Eğitim Sağlık Sanayi Yatırım A.Ş., Turgutlu, Manisa, Turkey
2 Mechanical Engineering Department, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
3 Ege University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
4 Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, Izmir, Turkey
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing interest in using agricultural waste in thermoplastic composites. This is due to the environmental benefits of such composites and their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional mineral-filled thermoplastics. The aim of this study was to develop halogen-free flame-retardant polypropylene composites filled with apricot kernel shells, intended to replace conventional mineral-filled thermoplastic composites. Polypropylene-based composites with apricot kernel shells at varying weight percentages (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) were manufactured by a twin-screw extruder and an injection molding machine. The optimal filling ratio of 20% by weight was determined by analyzing the material''s mechanical, thermal, and physical properties. Further improvement in the mechanical properties of composites, along with enhanced interaction between the filler and matrix, was achieved by adding 2% by weight of MAPP. Although the mechanical properties of the composites were significantly enhanced with the addition of 2 wt% compatibilizer, the thermal properties remained unchanged. The addition of a halogen-free flame retardant decreased the mechanical properties of the composites considerably, but it improved their thermal stability and horizontal flame-propagation speed. Compared to the 20 wt% apricot kernel shell-filled polypropylene composite without flame retardant, the incorporation of 5 wt% flame retardant resulted in a 33% reduction in burning rate.
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