Commingled composites of polypropylene/coir-sisal yarn: effect of chemical treatments on thermal and tensile properties

Abstract

Eco-friendly bio-composite of polypropylene (PP)/coir-sisal blended yarn was prepared using commingling technique, in which both the fibers are wound onto a metal plate and then compression molded. Various chemical treatments have been done in order to improve the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and reinforcement, thereby to increase the properties of the composite. Thermal stability study was done using thermogravimetric analysis. The resulting thermogram reveals that chemical treatments increase the thermal stability of the commingled composite to a considerable extent. A significant increase is observed in the tensile properties of the treated composite especially maleic anhydride modified PP (MAPP) treated composite as compared to the untreated one. The tensile strength and tensile modulus of MAPP treated composite was found to be 29.24 MPa and 1330 MPa, respectively, which was found to be 7.5% and 6.4% greater than that of untreated composite. The experimentally observed tensile properties of the composites were compared with the existing models of reinforced composites. The surface morphology and fiber surface treatments were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Effect of Alkali Treatment under Ambient and Heated Conditions on the Physicochemical, Structural, Morphological, and Thermal Properties of Calamus tenuis Cane Fibers

“…The first peak represents the degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose glycosidic links, and loosely linked materials, such as pectin, and the second peak arises due to the decomposition of crystalline cellulose [40]. Interestingly, the treated CTCFs show only one peak between 260 • C and 320 • C, mostly indicating the removal of hemicellulose during alkali treatment [55]. This finding aligns with the FTIR spectra and SEM micrographs.…”