Characterization of fly ash reinforced wood polypropylene composites

In this study, fly ash, which is released as waste from thermal power plants and has negative effects on the environment, was evaluated as a filler in wood-plastic composite materials (WPC). For this purpose, inorganic fly ash from thermal power plants was mixed with polypropylene (PP) thermoplastic polymer at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by extrusion method instead of wood flour used in wood plastic composite materials. Maleic anhydride-treated polypropylene (MAPP) was used to strengthen the bonding during WPC production. The material mixed in extrusion was passed through a crusher and turned into pellets. Test samples were prepared using injection molding of pelletized WPC material. Density, thickness swelling, water absorption, modulus of rupture, impact strength, modulus of elasticity in bending, tensile strength, janka hardness, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) were performed on the prepared test samples. The results indicated that as the amount of fly ash used in the wood-plastic composite material increases, the density increases but the thermal degradation temperature of the material, water uptake, the swelling ratio to its thickness, tensile strength, impact strength, janka hardness, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity decrease.