Abstract
This work investigates the effect of hydrothermal aging on the properties of polypropylene/alfa fiber composites. Hydrothermal aging was induced in an environmental testing chamber at 65°C and 75% relative humidity (RH) over a 1000 h period. At the beginning (t=0 h), the results showed that Young’s moduli of the untreated alfa fibers and the acetylation-treated fibers increased by 21% and 36%, respectively, compared with the virgin polypropylene (PP). Additionally, Young’s moduli decreased by 7% for the compatibilized composites composed of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP). After 1000 h of aging, Young’s moduli decreased by 36% for untreated alfa fibers and 29% for the acetylation-treated alfa fibers and the compatibilized composites. Significant degradation was observed in the untreated alfa fiber samples. The Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) allows us to distinguish the characteristic absorption bands of the main chemical functions present in the composite material before and after aging. The thermal properties showed that the thermal stability and the degree of crystallinity of the composites decreased after hydrothermal aging; this result was corroborated by the dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) results.
Highlights
In recent years, substantial attention has been focused on the development of environmentally friendly composites that combine synthetic polymers with plant-based fibers
We noticed the appearance of the absorption band between 3500 and 3100 cm−1, which increases in intensity after aging Figure 1(b), reflecting elongation of the hydroxyl vibration of water molecules (OH) associated with the diffusion of the liquid within the matrix and fiber interface/matrix [18, 19]
This study addresses the evolution of properties of untreated and treated alfa fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites during hydrothermal aging
Summary
Substantial attention has been focused on the development of environmentally friendly composites that combine synthetic polymers with plant-based fibers. Natural fibers such as alfa [1, 2] olive husk [3], wood [4, 5], luffa [6], coir [7], hemp [8], kenaf [9], and sisal [10] have been widely used in composites. All of the hydroxyl groups in the International Journal of Polymer Science
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