An experimental investigation on synthesizing and characterizing of modified bagasse reinforced natural rubber composite

Abstract

Natural composite material has been successfully fabricated employing sugar cane bagasse as reinforcement and natural rubber as a matrix. The goal of this study was to characterize and analyze this composite material by varying parameters such as fiber weight fraction and type, and fiber surface treatments. Optimization of the properties was carried out by applying various experimental techniques to determine the viscosity, curing torque, and abrasion wear, as well as mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties. The finding showed the viscosity, specific gravity, and curing torque increased with increasing bagasse content. Similarly, the braking force, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity have shown remarkable improvements with the addition of the bagasse reinforcement. Sodium hydroxide-treated fibers and bagasse ash fillers have demonstrated superior properties compared to untreated fiber-rubber composites. Better dispersion and morphological properties were also obtained when using sodium hydroxide-treated bagasse reinforcement and bagasse ash, and thus are recommendations of this study for use in rubber composites.