Physico-Mechanical Performance of Waste Plant Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites for Automotive Applications

Abstract

To maximize the interfacial bond strength, it is necessary to investigate the direct relationship between the degree of fiber-matrix adhesion and the mechanical and fracture behavior of composites. In this work, the strength of the interfacial bond between polypropylene (PP) and waste plant fiber (Dharose plant fiber, DF) that have been subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UV) was established. By using hot press molding, unidirectional composites of PP with dharose plant fiber reinforcement were manufactured, and their mechanical characteristics, including tensile strength, tensile modulus, and impact strength, were evaluated. DFs were treated to produce composites after being subjected to UV radiation at varying intensities. The mechanical characteristics of UV treated DF/PP composites were significantly enhanced as compared to the untreated section. UV light was used to cure a 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) solution that was used to modify DFs that had been subjected to UV light. Grafting and mechanical characteristics were adjusted for UV pass count and HEMA concentration. The fibers were improved with various alkali (NaOH) solution concentrations for 30 minutes prior to curing in order to further the characteristics. The following stage comprised grafting DFs with an enhanced HEMA solution and curing them with the identical UV-pass. In comparison to the optimum HEMA treatment composite, grafting of the alkaline treatment composite exhibits better mechanical properties. In order to understand the fiber-matrix adhesion better, SEM analysis of the broken surfaces of the failed composites was conducted. It was discovered that the interactions between the fiber and matrix were influenced by the polarity of the modified fiber surface. The behavior of treated specimens in terms of water uptake was much less inclined as compared to untreated ones. Weather studies have shown that, taking into account the length of the decay process, the loss tensile properties of treated specimens may be lower than those of untreated specimens.