Significance of Hemp Fiber on Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Polypropylene Nanocomposite Developed by Compression Mould Technique

The growth of green polycomposite is tolerated in different kinds of engineering applications and preserves specific qualities. This investigation is to synthesize the polymer-based composites adopted with polypropylene (PP) lamina as prime matrix, combined with NaOH-treated natural hemp fiber considered as reinforcement. This composite was prepared through the compression molding process, and the natural hemp fiber (HF) interacted with a 7% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution to enrich the adhesive quality and limit the absorption behavior, which is adopted with polypropylene matrix with the applied compressive force of 100 psi. Finally, the synthesized polypropylene composite is accomplished with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20wt% of chemically processed hemp fiber. The American Society for Testing and Materials measures its tensile, impact strength, and thermal performance. Amid the various compositions, the 20wt% NaOH-treated hemp fiber has excellent tensile strength, impact strength, and thermal stability. It is comparable to polypropylene composite without natural fiber exposed by 41 MPa and 15 kJ/m2 of tensile and impact strength. It owns enriched thermal stability and low thermo-gravimetric loss of 145 °C and 3%, respectively.