Properties of Differently Compatibilized Bamboo Fiber Reinforced PE Composites - Natural Polymers, Biopolymers, Biomaterials, and Their Composites, Blends, and IPNs - page 111

æ ö ÷

W -W

ç

÷

GD (%)= ç

Grafted LLDPE LLDPE

×100

÷

ç

GMA

ç è ÷

W

ø LLDPE

where W Grafted LLDPE is the dry weight of grafted LLDPE,
W LLDPE is the weight of LLDPE.

Figure 1. Effect of MA/GMA content on degree of grafting (DCP1%).

Figure 1 shows the effect of monomer (MA/GMA) content on the DG using 1%
DCP as an initiator. It was observed that the percentage of GMA grafted onto LLDPE
was less compared to percentage of MA grafted onto LLDPE under the similar condi-
tions. This may be due to the formation of poly-GMA in the composite product.

Characterization of i-/p-grafted Compatibilized Composites
The degradation/decomposition behavior of i-/p-grafted LLDPE/SDBF composites
was investigated by using Perkin Elmer Pyris 6 having TG module and TG/DTG trac-
es in nitrogen atmosphere were recorded by taking the average weight (10±2 mg) of
composite in each experiment. Dynamic TG/DTG scans were run from 50°C to 700°C
at a heating rate of 20°C/min. Perkin Elmer Pyris 6 was used for recording DSC scans
for composite samples (weight of 5±2 mg). The samples were heated to 150°C at a
rate of 20°C/min, and maintained for 3 min to remove the thermal history. The samples
were then cooled to 40°C at a cooling rate of 10°C/min, and heated again to 150°C
at the rate of 10°C/min. The crystallinity index ( CI DSC ) of LLDPE was calculated as
per discussion in literature (Kumar et al., 2010). Tensile tests were performed with
a universal testing machine (UTM), Zwick (Z010) model. Tensile specimens of dif-
ferently compatibilized composites were machined in dumb-bell shape according to
ASTM D638-03 type 1V. Five specimens for each composite composition were tested.