Effect of Silane Treatment on the Mechanical and Interfacial Properties of Calcium Alginate Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composite

Calcium alginate fibers were treated with vinyl triethoxy silane [H2C=CH-Si-(OC2H5)(3)] (5%, v/v) to reduce the strong hydrophilic nature of the fiber and also to improve the mechanical and interfacial properties of the calcium alginate fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites (10 wt% fiber). The composites were fabricated by compression molding. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, bending strength, bending modulus, and impact strength of both the composite systems (PP/untreated calcium alginate fiber and PP/silane-treated calcium alginate fiber) were found to be 25 MPa, 1090 MPa, 36 MPa, 1480 MPa, and 17 kJ/m(2) and 31 MPa, 1510 MPa, 48 MPa, 2270 MPa, and 21 kJ/m(2), respectively. Degradation tests of composites were performed for 16 weeks in soil and it was found that the silane treated composites retained almost 84% of its original strength. The interfacial properties of the composite were investigated by using single fiber fragmentation test.