The Effects of Morphological Properties of Henequen Fiber Irradiated by EB on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Henequen Fiber/PP Composites

The aim of this Study was to investigate the effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation on the morphological properties. crystallinity and surface area of henequen fiber and on the mechanical and thermal properties of henequen fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The structure of henequen fiber was characterized by X-ray diffraction, mercury porosimetry and BET surface area analysis. The EB irradiation of 10 kGy led to the increasing of crystalline and surface pore area of henequen fiber, which contributed to the number of interlocking places with PP. From the results of tensile and impact strength tests, the highest value was observed for the composite reinforced with the henequen fiber treated with EB dose of 10 kGy, decreasing overall as EB dose increased. This tendency was also shown by coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) measurements, but the value of CTE decreased until 50 kGy, meaning that a large total surface area can provide many interlocking places and so improve adhesion between fiber and matrix. Therefore, it can be concluded that the optimum pore surface area by 10 kGy irradiation contributes to successful mechanical interlocking between fiber and matrix and consequently enhances the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009