Fiber Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Composites Research Articles

Corrigendum to “Characterization of Rice Husk Fiber-Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Composites under Accelerated Simulated Soil Conditions”

Corrigendum to “Characterization of Rice Husk Fiber-Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Composites under Accelerated Simulated Soil Conditions”

Characterization of Rice Husk Fiber-Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Composites under Accelerated Simulated Soil Conditions

To study the effect of accelerated simulated soil aging on the physical, mechanical, and thermal behavior of rice husk fiber-reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites. The worst soil aging condition was determined using the orthogonal design method, and the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the composites were analyzed over 21 d. The results indicate that the worst soil-accelerated aging condition was as follows: soil temperature of 65°C, soil pH of 2.5, soil moisture content of 45%, and soil porosity (ratio of thick to thin) of 3 : 7. An extended aging time tends to cause poor interfacial bonding quality, and the presence of many microcracks reduced thermal stability and flexural and impact strength. Many fibers were exposed, which resulted in increasing 24 h water absorption and thermal expansion coefficient. The hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, and pyrolysis temperature of the composites (after 21 d of aging) decreased from 50 HRR, 17.42 MPa, 35.2 MPa, 3.19 kJ/m2, and 258.5°C to 26 HRR, 11.5 MPa, 16.8 MPa, 1.16 kJ/m2, and 251.3°C, respectively. The mass loss rate, 24 h water absorption, discoloration, and line thermal expansion coefficient of the composites increased from 0%, 4.19%, 0, and 28.43 to 2.9%, 7.92%, 29.03, and 29.98, respectively.

Effects of rice husk fibers on the properties of mixed-particle-size fiber-reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites under soil accelerated aging conditions

In this article, rice husk fiber/polyvinyl chloride composites were prepared and analyzed. The optimal composition of mixed-particle-size fiber-reinforced composites was determined through orthogonal experimentation. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the mixed-particle-size fiber-reinforced composites were compared to unprocessed (100 mesh) rice husk fiber/polyvinyl chloride composites. The surface microscopic appearances of the unprocessed and final composites were observed via laser microscope. Long-term accelerated soil aging caused micro-cracks to appear on the surfaces of the composites. Interfacial adhesion was observed via scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that mixed-particle-size fibers can better fill interfacial gaps, leading to strong interfacial adhesion. Furthermore, the addition of mixed-particle-size fibers improves the soil aging resistance of composites. The hardness, flexural strength, impact strength, and first onset pyrolysis temperature (after 0 days) increase from 50 HRR, 35.2 MPa, 3.19 KJ/m2, and 258.5°C to 55 HRR, 39.4 MPa, 3.86 KJ/m2, and 261.2°C, respectively. However, the mass loss rate and thickness expansion rate (after 21 days) decrease from 2.9% and 0.79% to 2.21% and 0.74%, respectively. In general, the addition of mixed-particle-size fibers improves the ultimate properties of composites under soil aging conditions.

Thermal and three-body abrasion behaviors of alkali-treated eucalyptus fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) have been widely used as exterior construction materials. The effect of alkali-treated (with NaOH concentrations of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) eucalyptus fiber on the three-body abrasion behaviors of eucalyptus/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites was investigated. The results showed that the eucalyptus fiber treated with NaOH had a higher crystallinity and improved hardness and impact strength. The wear loss and rate of alkali-treated eucalyptus/PVC composites was noticeably decreased compared to the natural eucalyptus fiber. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination on the worn surfaces revealed that the main wear mechanism of the eucalyptus/PVC composites was a combination of microcutting and microindentations.

Wear Behavior of Alkali-Treated Sorghum Straw Fiber Reinforced Polyvinyl Chloride Composites in Corrosive Water Conditions

The application of wood-plastic composites is growing rapidly in the fields of corrosion and aging. The present study investigated the effect of alkali-treated (with NaOH concentrations of 0.5, 2.5, 4.5, and 6.5%) sorghum straw (SS) fiber on the wear resistance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites under simulated seawater and acid rain conditions. The results showed that the wear resistance of the SS/PVC composites was noticeably improved by the addition of the alkali-treated SS fiber. SS fiber treated with 4.5% NaOH showed low polarity and hydrophilicity with high crystallinity and improved mechanical properties, which endowed the SS/PVC composites with high interfacial bonding and wear resistance. Exposure to simulated seawater and acid rain resulted in the deterioration of physical (including water repellency and hardness), mechanical, thermal, and wear-resistance properties of the composites; the wear mechanism of the SS/PVC composites after corrosion for 12 days was mainly abrasive wear.

Water absorption, biodegradation, thermal and morphological properties of Spartium junceum fiber-reinforced polyvinylchloride composites: effects of fibers content and surface modification

In this study, we want to investigate the effects of fibers content and surface modification of Spartium junceum (SJ) fibers on the water absorption characteristics, thermal degradation, and morphological properties of SJ-reinforced poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites. In addition, the change in mechanical proprieties of the composites after biodegradation test was evaluated by tensile strength. In order to improve the interfacial interactions between the PVC matrix and the SJ fibers, SJ fibers were modified by sodium hydroxide (NaOH), vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and treated with sodium hydroxide solution followed by VTMS (NaOH+VTMS). The results show that the water uptake of PVC/SJ fibers composites increases with the increase in the fibers’ content. However, the surface modification reduces water uptake. Moreover, the results indicate that the kinetics of water absorption of the PVC/SJ fibers composites approaches the Fickian diffusion mechanism. Also, the results indicate that the tensile strength of the composites is affected by the biodegradation test and chemical treatments. The atomic force microscope pictures of the composites illustrate the reduction of roughness via surface treatments of fibers.

Investigation of physico-mechanical properties of natural palm fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites

Fiber reinforced polymer composites played a dominant role in a variety of applications for their high specific strength and modulus. The present work describes the effects of palm fiber addition on physico-mechanical properties of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the fabricated products increased, while the bulk density, flexural strength and tangent modulus decreased with the increase of fiber addition. The tensile strain decreased with the increase of fiber addition up to 10% and after that it remained nearly constant, while flexural strain remained increasing. There was an initial differential thermal analysis (DTA) peak for both palm fiber and composite, whereas PVC did not have that peak due to water absorption. Thermal analysis of PVC-palm fiber composites has shown that thermal degradation of PVC started ahead of palm fiber. The thermal stability of composite was found to be the average of palm fiber and PVC foam sheet DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbas.v38i1.20215 Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 38, No. 1, 83-92, 2014

Natural fiber reinforced poly(vinyl chloride) composites: A review

Materials from renewable resources – also called biomaterials or ‘green’ materials – are presently gaining in importance worldwide. In these times of continuous increases in the price of crude oil and discussion of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, conventional plastics have reached a price level and a questionable image which promotes the search of alternatives. Natural fibers are a renewable natural resource and are biodegradable, which is an important characteristic for components that must be disposed of at the end of their useful life. They are recyclable and can be easily converted into thermal energy through combustion without leaving residue. In this study, we will discuss the natural fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites, reinforcing effect, plasticization effect along with modification by coupling agents, properties, and applications based on composite materials. Also, the polyvinyl chloride-based composite materials with specific emphasis on effect of coupling agent, foamed polyvinyl chloride composites, and the effect of natural fiber reinforcement on its material properties will be reviewed. One of the best alternatives is natural fiber reinforced plastics composites. These are composites that are typically filled or reinforced with plant fibers, as well as plastics such as polyvinyl chloride or recently, even bioplastics.