Chapter 9 - Thermal properties of coir fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

In general, coir fiber-reinforced polymer composites offer significant advantages in terms of mechanical and thermal characteristics. This chapter focuses on the effect of the fibers' chemical treatment either by alkaline treatment and bleached process or by using chemical modification via silane molecules on the thermal properties of the composites based on polypropylene matrix or polypropylene-polylactic acid blend matrix. The investigated composite was made utilizing a melt-compounding procedure with various coir fiber content. Thus, Fourier transforms infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction studies were used to assess the composites, demonstrating that the coir fibers had been successfully surfaced treated, resulting in good compatibility with the matrices. Finally, the employment of chemical treatments to improve interfacial adhesion and random dispersion/distribution of coir fibers results in significant improvements in composite mechanical properties, as seen by increases in complex modulus and damping factors. The thermal stability of the composites was showing a great enhancement with the incorporation of untreated and treated coir fibers which attributed to the heterogeneous nucleation effect.