Abstract
Natural rubber was reinforced with sisal and oil palm fibers and was subjected to dynamic mechanical analysis to determine the dynamic properties as a function of temperature. The storage modulus E′ was found to increase with weight fraction of fiber. This is due to the increased stiffness imparted by the natural fibers. Loss modulus increased with loading while the damping property was found to decrease. The fibers were subjected to alkali treatment of different concentrations namely 0.5, 1, 2, and 4% and the dynamic properties were studied. In the case of composites containing chemically modified fibers, storage modulus and loss modulus were found to increase. Scanning electron micrographs of tensile fracture surfaces of treated and untreated composites demonstrated better fiber-matrix bondinq in the case of the former.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 671-680 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Polymer Composites |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ceramics and Composites
- General Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Materials Chemistry