Polypropylene-Starch Blend for Automotive Application

This paper discusses about the feasibility of polypropylene-Starch blend in automotive application. Melt blending of polypropylene -starch Hybrid, polypropylene and talc are done using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. By optimizing the percentage of Polypropylene -starch hybrid, Polypropylene and talc, a formulation has been developed which is comparable with the commercial talc based polypropylene grade. Formulations based on regular talc and high aspect ratio talc are tried out and the composition based on high aspect ratio talc is found to have improved performance. Based on the Bio-PP formulation, a pillar trim auto component is molded. This pillar trim met the functional, aesthetic requirements but with higher weight. The developed composition contains about 18% starch and is a small step towards using greener materials with a sustainable raw material base in Automobiles.