A Study Of Mechanical Properties Of Short Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites

ABSTRACT

The degree of fiber–matrix adhesion and its effect on the mechanical reinforcement of short henequen fibers and a polyethylene matrix was studied. The surface treatments were: an alkali treatment, a silane coupling agent and the pre-impregnation process of the HDPE/xylene solution. The presence of Si–O–cellulose and Si–O–Si bonds on the lignocelluloses surface confirmed that the silane coupling agent was efficiently held on the fibers surface through both condensation with cellulose hydroxyl groups and selfcondensation between silanol groups. The fiber–matrix interface shear strength (IFSS) was used as an indicator of the fiber matrix adhesion improvement, and also to determine a suitable value of fiber length in order to process the composite with relative ease. It was noticed that the IFSS observed for the different fiber surface treatments increased and such interface strength almost doubled only by changing the mechanical interaction and the chemical interactions between fiber and matrix.

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