The Effect of Chemical Treatment on the Properties of Hemp, Sisal, Jute and Kapok for Composite Reinforcement

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dc.creatorMwaikambo, Leonard Y.
dc.creatorAnsell, Martin P.
dc.date2016-06-01T13:30:02Z
dc.date2016-06-01T13:30:02Z
dc.date1999
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-27T08:37:28Z
dc.date.available2018-03-27T08:37:28Z
dc.descriptionTwo chemical treatments were applied to hemp, sisal, jute and kapok natural fibres to create better fibre to resin bonding in natural composite materials. The natural fibres have been treated with varying concentrations of caustic soda with the objective of removing surface impurities and developing fine structure modifications in the process of alkalisation. The same fibres were also acetylated with and without an acid catalyst to graft acetyl groups onto the cellulose structure, in order to reduce the hydrophilic tendency of the fibres and enhance weather resistance. Four characterisation techniques, namely XRD, DSC, FT-IR and SEM, were used to elucidate the effect of the chemical treatment on the fibres. After treatment the surface topography of hemp, sisal and jute fibres is clean and rough. The surface of kapok fibres is apparently not affected by the chemical treatments. X-ray diffraction shows a slight initial improvement in the crystallinity index of the fibres at low sodium hydroxide concentration. However, high caustic soda concentrations lower the fibre crystallinity index. Thermal analysis of the fibres also indicates reductions in crystallinity index with increased caustic soda concentrations and that grafting of the acetyl groups is optimised at elevated temperatures. Alkalisation and acetylation have successfully modified the structure of natural fibres and these modifications will most likely improved the performance of natural fibre composites by promoting better fibre to resin bonding.
dc.identifierMwaikambo, L.Y. and Ansell, M.P., 1999, June. The effect of chemical treatment on the properties of hemp, sisal, jute and kapok fibres for composite reinforcement. In 2nd international wood and natural fibre composites symposium (Vol. 6).
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/2333
dc.identifier10.1002/(SICI)1522-9505(19991201)272:1<108::AID-APMC108>3.0.CO;2-9
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/2333
dc.languageen
dc.subjectNatural fibres
dc.subjectSisal
dc.subjectJute
dc.subjectHemp
dc.subjectKapok
dc.subjectChemical treatment
dc.subjectMercerisation
dc.subjectAcetylation
dc.subjectCharacterisation
dc.subjectXRD
dc.subjectDSC
dc.subjectFT-IR
dc.subjectSEM
dc.titleThe Effect of Chemical Treatment on the Properties of Hemp, Sisal, Jute and Kapok for Composite Reinforcement
dc.typeJournal Article, Peer Reviewed

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Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering