Effect of Simulated Seawater on Flexural Property of Corn Straw Fibers Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

In this paper, the effect of simulated seawater on properties of corn straw fibers (CSF) reinforced polypropylene composites was studied. Firstly, CSF was modified with nano-TiO2 particles, and then the modified CSF reinforced polypropylene (PP) composite was prepared. The flexural property and the microstructure of the composites before and after soaking simulated seawater for 21 days were investigated. The results showed that the simulated seawater in short-term immersion could play a role in plasticizing interface and improve the flexural property of CSF/PP composite. After 21 days of simulated seawater immersion, the flexural strength of CS/PP was increased by 18.00%. The modification of TiO2-CSF could improve the flexural property of CSF/PP composite. When the addition of TiO2 was 4 wt.%, the flexural strength reached 44.91 MPa, increased by 17.54% compared with that of unmodified composite.