The role of sugarcane bagasse and TiC particle on the characteristics improvement of polymer composites

Polypropylene (PP) composites are widely used in structural applications. However, few studies have explored the combined reinforcement of natural fibers and ceramic particles. This study addresses that gap by investigating the effects of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fibers and titanium carbide (TiC) particles on the mechanical and physical properties of PP composites. SCB and TiC were pre-milled for 60 minutes and incorporated into the PP matrix using reflux synthesis, followed by hot pressing at 170 °C. The result shows that the composite containing 5 wt.% TiC and 5 wt.% SCB exhibited optimal performance, with a tensile strength of 25 MPa, flexural strength of 30 MPa, and impact strength of 10 kJ/m2 - representing significant improvements over neat PP. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed an increase in crystallinity with the addition of TiC, while SEM images showed a ductile fracture morphology and uniform TiC dispersion. These findings demonstrate that dual reinforcement with SCB and TiC effectively enhances the structural performance of PP, offering a sustainable and high-performance composite material.