Development of Electroless Ni-P Coatings on Sisal Fiber

Abstract

Improving the properties of natural fibers can be interesting from a technological point of view. Modifications can result in a high specific strength, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, antistatic brush etc. Plant fiber composites would make them an option for use in components such as rifle stocks and knife handles etc. The greatest challenge would be to ensure that the components are all weather capable, but today several materials exist that have a high moisture tolerance. Moreover with proper surface coating techniques, most natural fibers materials can be toughened up to use as reinforcement. An attempt was made using a proprietary experimental set-up to coat natural fiber with electroless nickel phosphorus (ENi-P), since sisal fiber is a non-conducting material. In this article the surface morphology, ingredients and cross-section images of the modified natural fibers were characterised by a scanning electron microscope equipped with EDAX.