Title: MANUFACTURING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE-PAPER COMPOSITES FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

Authors: Cecile A. Grubb, Marton Kardos, Chris Webb, Hendrik Mainka, David J. Keffer, David P. Harper

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.23.0178

Abstract: The automotive industry is under significant pressure to curb greenhouse gas emissions from their products as the negative impacts on the environment are increasingly apparent. As such, there is significant interest within the industry to develop low-carbon footprint materials. Natural fiber composites are therefore appealing due to both their decreased carbon footprint, as well as their relatively low cost, low density, and beneficial acoustic properties. This research specifically focuses on the use of paper fibers as composite reinforcements. Paper offers additional benefits over other natural fiber types in that it is globally available, does not compete with food resources, and has well-established quality control techniques. The goal of this work was to study the manufacturing of polypropylene (PP)-paper fiber composites using a hybrid wet-lay/compression molding processing. The processing parameters studied included molding temperature, molding duration, and molding pressure. Paper composites were characterized for properties including flexural strength, impact strength, and water uptake rate. An optimal set of processing parameters was identified in which cycle time and energy inputs (e.g. temperature and pressure) were minimized while retaining desired material properties.

References: [1] T. P. Hovorun, K. V. Berladir, V. I. Pererva, S. G. Rudenko, and A. I. Martynov, “Modern materials for automotive industry,” J. Eng. Sci., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. f8–f18, 2017, doi: 10.21272/jes.2017.4(2).f8. [2] A. Patil, A. Patel, and R. Purohit, “An overview of Polymeric Materials for Automotive Applications,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 3807–3815, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2017.02.278. [3] E. Ghassemieh, “Materials in Automotive Application, State of the Art and Prospects,” in New Trends and Developments in Automotive Industry, M. Chiaberge, Ed. InTech, 2011. doi: 10.5772/13286. [4] G. Conway, “Life-Cycle Analysis for the Automotive Sector,” in Engines and Fuels for Future Transport, G. Kalghatgi, A. K. Agarwal, F. Leach, and K. Senecal, Eds. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2022, pp. 103–131. doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-8717-4_6. [5] F. D. Pero, M. Delogu, and M. Pierini, “Life Cycle Assessment in the automotive sector: a comparative case study of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and electric car,” Procedia Struct. Integr., vol. 12, pp. 521–537, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.prostr.2018.11.066. [6] S. A. Pradeep, R. K. Iyer, H. Kazan, and S. Pilla, “Automotive Applications of Plastics: Past, Present, and Future,” in Applied Plastics Engineering Handbook, Elsevier, 2017, pp. 651–673. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-39040-8.00031-6. [7] Volkswagen AG, “Sustainability Report 2021,” Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany, Mar. 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/nachhaltigkeit/documents/sustainability-report/2021/Nonfinancial_Report_2021_e.pdf [8] E. Hannon, T. Naucler, A. Suneson, and F. Yuksel, “The zero-carbon car: Abating material emissions is next on the agenda,” McKinsey Sustainability, Sep. 18, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/the-zero-carbon-car-abating-material-emissions-is-next-on-the-agenda [9] R. Dunne, D. Desai, R. Sadiku, and J. Jayaramudu, “A review of natural fibres, their sustainability and automotive applications,” J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., vol. 35, no. 13, pp. 1041–1050, Jul. 2016, doi: 10.1177/0731684416633898. [10] G. Koronis, A. Silva, and M. Fontul, “Green composites: A review of adequate materials for automotive applications,” Compos. Part B Eng., vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 120–127, Jan. 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.07.004. [11] S. Mahmud, K. M. F. Hasan, Md. A. Jahid, K. Mohiuddin, R. Zhang, and J. Zhu, “Comprehensive review on plant fiber-reinforced polymeric biocomposites,” J. Mater. Sci., vol. 56, no. 12, pp. 7231–7264, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10853-021-05774-9. [12] P. Bajpai, Green Chemistry and Sustainability in Pulp and Paper Industry. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-18744-0. [13] United States Environmental Protection Agency, “National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling,” Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling, Jan. 09, 2022. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials [14] S. Roychowdhury and S. G. Advani, “An experimental investigation of consolidation in thermoplastic filament winding,” Compos. Manuf., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 97–104, Jan. 1991, doi: 10.1016/0956-7143(91)90186-K. [15] G. Wypych, Handbook of polymers. 2016. Accessed: Mar. 08, 2022. [Online]. Available: http://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpHPE00012/handbook-of-polymers [16] D. Harper and M. Wolcott, “Interaction between coupling agent and lubricants in wood–polypropylene composites,” Compos. Part Appl. Sci. Manuf., vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 385–394, Mar. 2004, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2003.09.018. [17] D. P. Harper and M. P. Wolcott, “Chemical Imaging of Wood—Polypropylene Composites,” Appl. Spectrosc., vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 898–905, Aug. 2006, doi: 10.1366/000370206778062048. [18] O. J. Shesan, A. C. Stephen, A. G. Chioma, R. Neerish, and S. E. Rotimi, “Fiber-Matrix Relationship for Composites Preparation,” in Renewable and Sustainable Composites, A. B. Pereira and F. A. O. Fernandes, Eds. IntechOpen, 2019. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.84753. [19] H. Alshahrani and A. Ahmed, “Enhancing Impact Energy Absorption, Flexural and Crash Performance Properties of Automotive Composite Laminates by Adjusting the Stacking Sequences Layup,” Polymers, vol. 13, no. 19, p. 3404, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.3390/polym13193404. [20] W. D. Callister and D. G. Rethwisch, Materials science and engineering: an introduction, 10th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018. [21] “Low Energy Plastics Processing - RECIPE European Best Practice Guide,” Intelligent Energy - Europe, Oct. 2006. [22] “FlexForm Technologies - Products,” FlexForm Technologies - Products. https://www.flexformtech.com/Auto/Products/ (accessed Jan. 09, 2022).

Conference: SAMPE 2023

Publication Date: 2023/04/17

SKU: TP23-0000000178

Pages: 13

Price: $26.00