Morphological, Thermal, and Physicochemical Characterization of Surface Modified Pinus Fibers

In recent years, interest in using natural fibers in a number of applications especially in biocomposites has grown because they are eco-friendly, lightweight, combustible, nontoxic, low cost and easy to recycle. On the other hand, the lack of good interfacial adhesion and poor resistance to moisture absorption and chemicals make the use of natural fibers less attractive. Chemical treatment of the lignocellulosic fiber can stop the moisture absorption process, clean the fiber surface, chemically modify the surface or increase the surface roughness. Silane treatment of natural fibers is a promising process for improving physical and chemical properties of fibers. The work presented in this article gives insight into the effect of silane treatment on physical and chemical properties of Pinus fibers. Further polymer composites were prepared using urea-formaldehyde as a novel polymer matrix resin. The silane-treated and untreated fibers along with polymer composites have been characterized by various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis along with DTG studies. Composites prepared were also subjected to the evaluation of different mechanical, physical, and chemical properties.