Interfacial Compatibility Evaluation on the Fiber Treatment in the Typha Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites and Their Effect on the Chemical and Mechanical Properties

• Main Authors: Samsul Rizal, Ikramullah, Deepu A. Gopakumar, Sulaiman Thalib, Syifaul Huzni, H. P. S. Abdul Khalil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: Typha fiber; fiber treatment; wettability; epoxy composite; interfacial compatibility
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/10/12/1316

Natural fiber composites have been widely used for various applications such as automotive components, aircraft components and sports equipment. Among the natural fibers <i>Typha spp</i> have gained considerable attention to replace synthetic fibers due to their unique nature. The untreated and alkali-treated fibers treated in different durations were dried under the sun for 4 h prior to the fabrication of <i>Typha</i> fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The chemical structure and crystallinity index of composites were examined via FT-IR and XRD respectively. The tensile, flexural and impact tests were conducted to investigate the effect of the alkali treated Typha fibers on the epoxy composite. From the microscopy analysis, it was observed that the fracture mechanism of the composite was due to the fiber and matrix debonding, fiber pull out from the matrix, and fiber damage. The tensile, flexural and impact strength of the <i>Typha</i> fiber reinforced epoxy composite were increased after 5% alkaline immersion compared to untreated <i>Typha</i> fiber composite. From these results, it can be concluded that the alkali treatment on <i>Typha</i> fiber could improve the interfacial compatibility between epoxy resin and <i>Typha</i> fiber, which resulted in the better mechanical properties and made the composite more hydrophobic. So far there is no comprehensive report about <i>Typha</i> fiber reinforcing epoxy composite, investigating the effect of the alkali treatment duration on the interfacial compatibility, and their effect on chemical and mechanical of <i>Typha</i> fiber reinforced composite, which plays a vital role to provide the overall mechanical performance to the composite.