Mechanical, thermal and microstructural studies of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene reinforced with rattan (Calamus beccarii) fiber composites

Abstract

In this research work, fibers from rattan plant stem (RA) were selected as reinforcing material with widely used thermoplastic polymer acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The extracted fibers were chemically modified with NaOH followed by benzoylation and bleaching. Then they were used as reinforcement in ABS polymer matrix by different weight percentages (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) for fabrication of composites. It was observed that chemical treatment changes the surface texture of the fibers enhancing the surface roughness which helps in proper fiber-matrix bonding. Various properties like static and dynamic mechanical properties, thermal and morphological properties were investigated. The mechanical properties of the composites were observed to increase at beginning phase with increase in filler content till optimum (24 wt%) fiber loading and from there on declines. Highest tensile strength of 74.98 MPa, 4.80 GPa of young's modulus, 90. A total of 10 MPa of flexural strength and 31.42 kJ/m 2 of impact strength were obtained at optimum fiber loading. Further characterizations in terms of Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) on composites with optimum fiber loading were conducted and compared with untreated composites. These fabricated composites can be an alternative material for automobile industries due to its high strength and low weight advantage.

Investigating the Water Relations in Aqueous Extract Powders of Mango (Mangifera indica) Peel and Seed Waste for Their Use in Food Matrices as a Value-Added By-Product

“…The characterization of the product from the perspective of thermal analysis is essential for estimating stability in terms of changes in temperature and kinetic parameters when referring to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) [ 23 ]. In several studies, this has been implemented as the main requirement for identifying the thermal stability of materials and determining the degradation peaks (the temperature at which degradation is maximal) [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], and used as a useful tool for estimating drying temperatures [ 26 ]. Another thermal analysis technique is differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a method in which the difference in heat flux rate between the reference material and the product being evaluated is estimated as a temperature element, while the substance and the reference are subjected to a manageable temperature program ranging from subzero to high temperatures [ 28 ].…”

Calotropis gigantea bast fiber based epoxy composites for automotive application: An experimental study

“…Highest tensile strength of 74.98 MPa, 4.80 GPa of young's modulus, 10 MPa of flexural strength and 31.42 kJ/m 2 of impact strength were obtained at optimum fiber loading (24 wt%). [19] Nayak studied the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of Pennisetum orientale grass fiber filled vinyl ester composites. [20] They found that 25 wt% of fiber content reveals highest mechanical as well as better thermal properties.…”