Pupunha-reinforced polypropylene composite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021284831-A1
Application number	US-202016816649-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 12, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a composite material. In one example, the composite material includes a polymer base reinforced with a powder formed from pupunha fibers. The resulting composite material is provided as pellets for further processing.

First claim

1 . A composite material comprising:
a polymer base; and a fine powder with fibrils of micro-cellulose formed from milled and dried pupunha fibers; wherein the composite material is provided as pellets.

2 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer base is polypropylene.

3 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the powder is initially milled to a coarse powder with long filaments, and then milled to the fine powder.

4 . The composite material of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling agent.

5 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the pupunha fibers are obtained from shells of pupunha palm stems and pupunha leaves.

6 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the powder is homogeneously dispersed within the polymer base and wherein the powder is a mixture of lignin, fibers, and microcellulose.

7 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the pellets include between 5-40% by weight of the powder.

8 . The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the composite material has a medium gloss finish with an appearance similar to wood.

9 . A natural fiber-reinforced composite, comprising:
pupunha fibers dispersed into a polypropylene matrix as a powder, wherein the pupunha fibers are extracted from a stem shell and leaves of a pupunha plant.

10 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein the natural fiber-reinforced composite is provided as pellets for further processing.

11 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein a density of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 0.907 to 0.943 g/cm 3 .

12 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein a tensile strength at yield of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 15.10-18.01 MPa.

13 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein an elongation at yield of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 0.8-1.9%.

14 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein a tensile modulus of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 1638-2121 MPa.

15 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein a flexural modulus of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 1620-2518 MPa.

16 . The natural fiber-reinforced composite of claim 9 , wherein an impact strength of the natural fiber-reinforced composite is between 1.32-1.62 Kj/m 2 .

17 . A method for forming a composite, comprising:
drying pupunha shells and leaves; milling the pupunha fibers into a coarse powder; milling the coarse powder into a fine powder; mixing the powder into a polymer; and forming pellets from the mixture of the powder and the polymer.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising collecting pupunha shells and leaves discarded during harvesting of pupunha palm for palm hearts.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein milling the dried pupunha shells and leaves includes partially milling the pupunha shells and leaves into the coarse powder a pelletizer mill and then into the fine powder in a knife mill, followed by drying in an oven at 80° C.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein mixing the powder into the polymer includes compounding the polymer with the powder and a coupling agent with a double twin screw extruder and heating the extruder through 12 heating zones at temperatures between 180-200° C. and wherein the polymer is polypropylene.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Herbert Cristiano Grings
• Polkowski Rodrigo Denizarte De Oliveira
• Gonçalves Cristiane Carla
• Aguiar Angelo Nogueira
• Souza Jodalva Guimarães Freire De
• Santos Helano Lima Dos
• Almeida Oberti Dos Santos
• Kiziltas Alper
• Oliveira Paulo Roberto Tavares
• Rezende Fernando Martins

Classifications

• C08L2205/16

  Fibres; Fibrils · CPC title

• C08L23/12 Primary

  Polypropene · CPC title

• C08J2323/12

  Polypropene · CPC title

• C08J5/045

  with vegetable or animal fibrous material · CPC title

• C08L2207/20

  Recycled plastic · CPC title