Effect of Content and Surface Modification of Fique Fibers on the Properties of a Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)-Al/Fique Composite.

Mario Muñoz-Vélez,Miguel Hidalgo-Salazar,Jose Mina-Hernández

doi:10.3390/polym10101050

Mario Muñoz-Vélez, Miguel Hidalgo-Salazar + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10101050

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Journal: Polymers	Publication Date: Sep 20, 2018
Citations: 22	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, University of Valle

Abstract

This work presents the physical-thermal and mechanical characterization of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-Al matrix composite material that was obtained from reinforcing recycled (post-consumer) long-life Tetra Pak packages with fique natural fibers from southwestern Colombia. The fique was subjected to three chemical treatments to modify its surface (alkalinization, silanization and pre-impregnation with polyethylene) to increase the quality of its interfaces. Additionally, panels with 10%, 20%, and 30% v/v of fiber were manufactured by the hot compression molding. The mechanical properties of the different composite materials showed that the pre-impregnation treatment promoted a significant increase in the tensile and flexural properties with respect to the fiber-reinforced composite without surface modification. Additionally, in materials with 30% fibers that were treated with pre-impregnation, there was a decrease in the water absorption capacity of 53.15% when compared to composites made with 30% native fibers. Finally, increases in the fiber content mainly caused better mechanical performances, which increased as a direct function of the amount of fique incorporated.

Highlights

Composites are materials that have aroused great industrial interest due to their good properties.Their physical-mechanical performance depends on the properties and characteristics of each of the phases that compose them, the fiber arrangement in the composite, and the interfacial quality [1,2].Among the materials that are currently used for the reinforcement of polymer matrices, natural fibers offer better mechanical properties than many of the polymers used as matrices in composites
The best performance was observed from the composites that were reinforced with the Fique-ASP fiber (Figure 2), which obtained 17.45 MPa and
The presence of the dispersed phase of aluminum particles in the material increased the modulus by 592% and the crystallinity in the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) from 34% to 44.53%, because the aluminum particles act as nucleation points that promote the formation of the crystalline phase of the material

Summary

Introduction

Composites are materials that have aroused great industrial interest due to their good properties.Their physical-mechanical performance depends on the properties and characteristics of each of the phases that compose them, the fiber arrangement in the composite, and the interfacial quality [1,2].Among the materials that are currently used for the reinforcement of polymer matrices, natural fibers offer better mechanical properties than many of the polymers used as matrices in composites. Composites are materials that have aroused great industrial interest due to their good properties. Their physical-mechanical performance depends on the properties and characteristics of each of the phases that compose them, the fiber arrangement in the composite, and the interfacial quality [1,2]. Natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix composites present some difficulties, which is mainly due to poor compatibility between the phases, i.e., the hydrophilic nature of the fibers and the hydrophobic characteristics of the matrix. Several investigations have studied the effect of different chemical treatments on the reinforcement material to improve the quality of the interface between the fibers and the matrix and improve the mechanical performance [3].

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