Weathering Performance of Montmorillonite/Wood Flour-Based Polypropylene Nanocomposites

Abstract

The effects of weathering on the physical and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/wood flour (WF) composites with and without nanoclay were investigated. The composites were placed in a xenon-arc weatherometer chamber, and then their color changes, flexural strength (MOR) and modulus (MOE), and water uptake were evaluated during 1800 h of their accelerated weathering. The study showed that the water uptake and thickness swelling of the composite increased and their MOR and MOE decreased with weathering time, but the addition of nanoclay diminished these effects.