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 bonding in the case of the former. POLYM. COMPOS., 27:671-680, 2006. a 2,2,4 trimethyl-1,2-dihydro quinoline. b N-cyclohexylbenzothiazyl sulphenamide.
Hybrid biofibers (sisal and oil palm) were incorporated into natural rubber matrix. The water absorption characteristics of the composites were evaluated with reference to fiber loading. The influence of temperature on water sorption of the composites is also analyzed. Moisture uptake was found to be dependent on the properties of the biofibers. The mechanism of diffusion in the gum sample was found to be Fickian in nature, while in the loaded composites, it was non-Fickian. Sisal and oil palm fibers were subjected to different treatments such as mercerization and silanation. The effect of chemical modification on moisture uptake was also analyzed. Chemical modification was seen to decrease the water uptake in the composites. The thermodynamic parameters of the sorption process were also evaluated. Activation energy was found to be maximum for the gum sample.
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