Recycled Carbon Nanofiber-Polypropylene Nanocomposite: A Step towards Sustainable Structural Material Development

Abstract

Plastic products play a significant role in fulfilling daily necessities, but the non-decomposable nature of plastic leads to inescapable environmental damage. Recycling plastic material is the most appropriate solution to avoid pollution and short product lifespan. The present study shows the recycling effect on carbon nanofiber (CNF) reinforced polypropylene (PP) nanocomposite to attain the purpose of reuse and sustainability. 30 wt% CNF melt-blended with polymer and PP-nanocomposites were fabricated using the injection molding technique. PP-CNF nanocomposites were recycled, and mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties were investigated. Three-point bending and tensile testing showed a low decrement of ~1% and ~5% in bending and tensile strength after recycling 30 wt% PP-CNF nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the alignment of CNF was disturbed after recycling due to the decrement in the aspect ratio of CNF. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the crystallinity of PP increases with recycling. The lowering of interfacial interaction between CNF and PP after recycling was studied by a stress-controlled rheometer. The decrement in mechanical properties of PP-CNF nanocomposite is not significant due to CNF reinforcement; hence, it can be reused for the same or other structural applications.