Fabrication, Mechanical Characterization and Interfacial Properties of Bamboo and E-glass Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene-based Composites

Kamrun Nahar Keya,Nasrin Afroz Kona,Ruhul Amin Khan

doi:10.11648/j.ajn.20190504.16

Kamrun Nahar Keya, Nasrin Afroz Kona + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajn.20190504.16

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Abstract

Bamboo and E-glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) based composites (50 wt% fiber) were fabricated by compression molding. Tensile strength (TS), bending strength (BS), tensile modulus (TM), bending modulus (BM) and Elongation at break (%) of the bamboo fiber reinforced PP composite was found to be 62 MPa, 78 MPa, 4.96 GPa, 5.76 GPa, and 5.0%, respectively. Then, E-glass fiber-reinforced PP-based composites (50 wt% fiber) were also fabricated using the same methods and after that, the mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated. The TS, BS, TM, BM and Eb% of the E-glass fiber reinforced PP based composites were found to be 86 MPa, 88 MPa, 7.0 GPa, 12 GPa, and 16%, respectively. It was revealed that E-glass fiber reinforced based composites had higher TS, BS, TM, and BM compared to bamboo fiber reinforced-based composites. At ambient conditions, degradation tests of the bamboo/PP composite were performed in soil and it took 24 weeks which showed that after degradation mechanical properties of the bamboo fiber retained its original mechanical properties. After the flexural test, fracture sides of the E-glass/PP and bamboo/PP composites were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the results revealed that bamboo-fiber reinforced based composites matrix adhesion less than the E-glass fiber reinforced based composites.

Highlights

In the last century, synthetic fiber reinforced based polymer composites gained huge attention and its composites are used as a replacement of conventional structural materials such as wood, metals, and reinforced concrete
It was revealed that the Eglass fiber/properties of the matrix (PP) composites were found to have 38.71% and 41.13% improvement of tensile strength (TS) and tensile modulus (TM) over the bamboo composites
It was evident that E-glass fiber/PP composites retained much of their original mechanical properties than the bamboo fiber/PP based composites during soil degradation

Summary

Introduction

Synthetic fiber reinforced based polymer composites gained huge attention and its composites are used as a replacement of conventional structural materials such as wood, metals, and reinforced concrete. Because of its good mechanical and physical properties, the bamboo fiber-reinforced composite structures become more popular among the people, researchers, and scientists as well as all over the world [20]. In recent years researchers have focused on biodegradable composites which are made out of natural fibers and bio-resins In this present studies, bamboo fiber and polypropylene was used [21,22,23]. Fracture surface and interfacial bonding between bamboo fiber and polypropylene (PP) matrix can be shown by SEM analysis. The ultimate aim of the present research works as to compare the mechanical and interfacial properties between bamboo/PP and E-glass fibers/PP composites

Materials

Water Uptake of Bamboo Fiber

Investigation of Mechanical Properties of the Composites

Findings

SEM Images of the Composites

Conclusion