International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to understand the influence of cashew nutshell powder and calcium carbonate composition on the crystallinity and microstructure of polypropylene matrix.

The microstructural characterization and change in the crystallinity of the polypropylene composites prepared by thermal compression was carried. Morphological properties and the crystallinity of the pure polypropylene, polypropylene/calcium carbonate and polypropylene/cashew nutshell powder are reported. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction methods were used for the sample analyses. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that the composites of ratios, both 60 g PP: 40 g CaCO_3, 60 g PP: 40 g CNSPand 50 g PP: 50 g CaCO_3, 50 g PP: 50 g CNSP are completely compatible at which there are no phases that are grossly separated. The XRD analysis has shown that there was increase in d spacings of the Polypropylene composites of fillers content 40 g and 50 g (both Cashew Nutshell Powder and Calcium Carbonate) compared with the Polypropylene without filler shift of peak positions to lower positions was also observed in the polypropylene composites compared with the unmodified Polypropylene. The crystallinity index was calculated and the highest value was obtained as (87.50%) for the Filled polypropylene (50 g: 50 g) Cashew Nutshell Powder compared to the remaining composites of the same filler’s compositions. 

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