Chemical Modifications of Polypropylene/Chitosan Composites

Production of environmentally friendly materials is primarily triggered by the environmental issue of petroleum-based composites, and also by the necessity to obtain materials with desired properties. One of the most effective strategies to enhance properties as well as biodegradability of composite materials is by replacing synthetic filler with natural fibers. Chitosan is natural fiber which possesses excellent mechanical and thermal properties. It has been used as reinforcement in plastic composites, although it is not as widespread as synthetic fibers. Generally, polymer matrix-fiber incompatibility is a major drawback in manufacturing of polymer composites due to different polarity between natural fibers and polymer matrices. To mitigate the issue of adhesion, an enhancement of matrix-filler interface adhesion is attained by the chemical modification, by means of a filler surface treatment or a coupling agent. This book provides comprehensive current progress of the study of polypropylene/chitosan composites, and associated challenges on enhancement strategies of filler-matrix interfacial adhesion