The Effect of Alkaline Treatment on Water Absorption and Tensile Properties of Non-Woven Kenaf Polyester Composite

2019

Polymer Composites

In view of environmental imbalance due to numerous use of manmade fibers and plastic products, demand of natural fibers reinforced biocomposites have been increased. The products prepare by these biocomposites have been used in the various applications. However, their utilizations are not found suitable in the applications where high strength and high water resistance are required. The prime aim of the present study is to improve the water resistance capacity and mechanical performance of aged sisal biocomposites. In this context, hand lay-up process was used to prepare the epoxy-based biocomposites by reinforcing the surface modified sisal fibers consisted of eco-friendly sodium bicarbonate treatment and poly (lactic acid) coating. The highest water absorption, thickness swelling, and sorption, diffusion and permeability coefficients of the fabricated sisal composites were studied. Moreover, the effect of water absorption on tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness properties of the sisal composites was also investigated. It was noticed that treated and coated sisal composite revealed the best water resistant behavior than all other the composites. This composite exhibited 30% lower water absorption capacity than that of pure sisal composite. Further, lowest degradation in mechanical properties, that is, tensile strength (3.59%), flexural strength (33.18%), and hardness (11.96%) was observed for treated and coated sisal composite. K E Y W O R D Scoating, eco-friendly treatment, mechanical properties, thickness swelling, water absorption behavior

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Lowering in water absorption capacity and mechanical degradation of sisal/epoxy composite by sodium bicarbonate treatment and PLA coating

2019

Polymer Composites

“…The water resistance capacity of kenaf composite was also found to enhance after alkali treatment. 171…”

Section: Water Absorption Behaviour Of Biocompositesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on the properties of natural fibres and its bio-composites: Effect of alkali treatment

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L:

2019

107

Due to the dominating advantages of natural fibres such as biodegradability, eco-friendliness, nominal cost, low density and high specific strength, they are being used opposite to synthetic fibres in many industrial applications. Despite many advantages, these fibres face some limitations such as higher moisture uptake, quality variations, low thermal stability, and poor compatibility with polymeric matrix. To overcome these limitations, chemical treatments of these fibres were found to be the most suitable method to improve adhesion with polymers, increase their strength and water absorption resistance, and improve their composite properties also. Among chemical treatments, alkali treatment is the most widely used and versatile surface modification method of the natural fibres. A good number of research works have been carried out on effect of alkali treatment on the properties of natural fibres and its composites, which motivated for this review. In this paper, the effect of alkali treatment on the properties of natural fibres has been reviewed. In addition, the physical and mechanical properties, thermal analysis and tribological behaviour of its biocomposites are also reviewed. It was concluded that alkali treatment of natural fibres could provide enhanced properties of various bio-composites up to a great extent.

“…The water absorption rate increased in all the composites as the fibre content increased and the absorption rate reduced with successive alkali treatment on the fibres. In another study, the water resistance capacity of kenaf/polyester composite was also found to increase after alkali treatment [97]. A drop in water absorption of short sisal fibre/polylactic acid after alkali treatment was analyzed [98].…”

Section: Chemical Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water absorption behavior of cellulosic fibres polymer composites: A review on its effects and remedies

Journal of Industrial Textiles

2020

Recently, researchers and scientists are trying to overcome the environmental burden by using biocomposites in engineering applications as far as possible. The main source of biocomposites is cellulosic fibres which is a class of natural fibres. Instead of many advantages of cellulosic fibres, they and their polymer composites suffer from some limitations as well. The environmental conditions are one of the most important issues to degradation behavior of the cellulosic fibres polymer composites (CFPCs). Among the environmental conditions, water absorption is an important ground to degradation in the mechanical performance of the CFPCs, which resists them to be used in outdoor applications. Several studies have been presented on water absorption characteristics of cellulosic fibres and its polymer-based biocomposites. Further, the consequence of water uptake on the mechanical performance of biocomposites was also reported in many studies. In most of the cases, a negative effect of water absorption was observed, whereas in a few cases a positive effect was also seen. In the present study, mechanics and kinetics of water absorption for CFPCs are discussed. Further, a detailed literature review on water absorption of cellulosic fibres and their different types of polymer-based biocomposites has also been carried out. Furthermore, studies reported on the effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties were also systematically presented. Moreover, all the possible remedies to lower the water absorption capacity were also discussed in the present review paper.