The effects of surface modified date-palm fiber fillers upon the thermo-physical performances of high density polyethylene-polyvinyl chloride blend with maleic anhydride as a grafting agent

To demonstrate the upcycling of thermoplastic waste with good thermo-physical properties, high density polyethylene (HDPE; 80 phr) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC; 20 phr) are mixed as the matrix using maleic anhydride (MAH) reinforced with unmodified and modified date palm fibers (DPFs; 30 phr). The effects of in situ grafting of MAH onto the DPFs-HDPE-PVC composites upon the resultant thermo-physical characteristics are investigated and analyzed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thus, the effective compatibilizing of both the HDPE-PVC component and the grafted HDPE-PVC blend with the modified DPFs are confirmed. In addition, the results of dynamical mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry indicate that the glass transition temperature (T-g) of the composite is enhanced by the incorporation of modified DPFs. The thermal, mechanical, and water uptake properties of the composites are also improved. Rheological analysis at low frequency reveals that the introduction of hydrolyzed DPFs results in a higher complex viscosity (1.94 x 10(6) Pa s) and storage modulus (119,844 MPa) for the obtained composite (designated G-Hydro). Overall, the G-Hydro composite exhibits the best performance, making it ideal for a variety of construction and building purposes.