Effect of surface chemistry and topography of sulphite fibres on the transcrystallinity of polypropylene

In the present study the effect of chemically and mechanically treated cellulose materials on the degree of polypropylene transcrystallisation was investigated. The cellulose materials which were sulphite fibres, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and knife milled sulphite fibre, were either chemically treated by esterification or mechanically treated by beating. The esterified cellulose materials did not induce a transcrystalline layer, however, all unesterified cellulose materials clearly induced a transcrystalline layer. The fibres which were mechanically treated by beating gave a higher degree of transcrystallisation than the untreated ones. Our results show the importance of the surface chemistry of the added fibres on the growth of transcrystallisation in polypropylene composite materials.