Journal
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
Volume 43, Issue 9, Pages 1431-1440Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2012.04.007
Keywords
Kenaf fibre; Fibre/matrix bond; Mechanical resting; Surface treatment
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Kenaf fibre reinforced polypropylene composites were manufactured by compression moulding. The kenaf fibre was considered in three forms; untreated, treated with sodium hydroxide solution and treated with sodium hydroxide solution followed by three-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The effects of these chemical treatments on the tensile and flexural properties of the composites were investigated. Mechanical test results show that alkali treatment followed by three-aminopropyltriethoxysilane treatment (alkali-silane treatment) significantly improves the tensile and flexural properties of short fibre non-woven kenaf polypropylene composites. In particular, the specific tensile and flexural strengths of alkali-silane treated kenaf composites with 30% fibre mass fraction are, respectively, only 4% and 11% lower than those of composites made using glass fibre. Scanning electron microscopy examination shows that the improvements in the tensile and flexural properties resulting from alkali-silane treatment can be attributed to better bonding between the fibres and matrix. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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