In the present work, the mechanical properties of composites obtained by using areca fibers in epoxy matrix have been investigated. The areca fibers extracted from the areca husk are alkali-treated with potassium hydroxide to get better interfacial bonding between fibers and matrix. The test specimens are prepared with different values of weight ratio of fiber to matrix, the fibers being randomly oriented. The test specimens are cured for different periods of time to study the effect of curing time on the mechanical properties. The results of tests such as water absorption, tension, compression, bending, impact, and hardness conducted on the test specimens are herein reported. It is found that the mechanical properties of the composites tested are greatly influenced by (i) alkali treatment of fiber, (ii) weight ratio of fiber-matrix, and (iii) curing time. C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 00: 1-12, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com.

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Environmentally beneficial composites can be made by replacing synthetic fibers with various types of cellulosic fibers. Fibers from pine wood, coir, sisal, abaca, coir, etc. are all good candidates. The most important factor in finding good fiber reinforcement in the composites is the strength of adhesion between matrix polymer and fiber. Due to the presence of hydroxyl groups and other polar groups in various constituents of abaca, the moisture absorption is high, which leads to poor wettability and weak interfacial bonding between fibers and the more hydrophobic matrices. Therefore, it is necessary to impart a hydrophobic nature to the fibers by suitable chemical treatments in order to develop composites with better mechanical properties. In the present work, the effect of alkali treatment on the moisture absorption tendency of single abaca fiber was investigated. The results shown that the alkali treated fiber absorbs less moisture than the untreated raw fiber.