Effect of Nanoclay and Surface Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Fish Tail Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 13, No 4 (2024) pp. 177-184
Abstract
The addition of nanofiller into the fiber-reinforced composites aims to enhance adhesion between the fiber surface and the polymer matrix and improve strength. This paper examines the mechanical properties and morphological characteristics of fishtail palm empty fruit bunch (FTPEFB) fiber to evaluate its suitability as a reinforcing material in epoxy composites. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Nanoclay reinforcement and surface treatment of FTPEFB fiber on the performance of fiber-reinforced composites. The FTPEFB fibers were prepared in three forms: untreated, alkali-treated, and benzoyl chloride-treated. Composites were prepared using these fibers with different Nanoclay levels: 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt. % through the hand layup method. Various mechanical characteristics were assessed, including tensile strength, flexural properties, impact resistance, and hardness of the surface. Furthermore, morphology was examined using Scanning electron microscopy to investigate how chemical processing affected the treated and untreated fibers. For alkali-treated FTPEFB fiber-reinforced epoxy composites, the best overall characteristics were achieved with 6 wt. % Nanoclay content, yielding a tensile strength of 77.52 MPa, a tensile modulus of 5.24 GPa, and a flexural strength of 142.8 MPa; the impact strength increased by 23.51%, and the hardness improved by 10.76% when compared to composites without Nanoclay fillers.
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