The main objective of this work is to study the effect of chemical treatment on the thermal properties of hybrid natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFRCs). Different chemical treatments [i.e., alkalized and mixed (alkalized+ silanized)] were used to improve the adhesion between the natural fibers (jute, ramie, sisal, and curauá) and the polymer matrix. A differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and a dynamic mechanical analysis were performed to study the thermal properties of hybrid NFRC. It was found that the chemical treatments increased the thermal stability of the composites. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the chemical treatments altered the morphology of the natural fibers. A rougher surface was observed in case of alkali treated fiber, whereas a thin coating layer was formed on the fiber surface during the mixed treatment. However, for some fibers (i.e., sisal and rami), the chemical treatment has a positive impact on the composite properties, whereas for the jute and curauá composites, the best behavior was found for untreated fibers.
In this work, a comparative analysis of the mechanical and thermal properties of polyester and epoxy single and hybrid natural fibre-reinforced composites was performed. Pure jute, jute + curauá and jute + sisal composites with two distinct thermoset polymer resins (an epoxy and a polyester) were produced. Tensile, flexural and impact tests were carried out, in accordance to ASTM standards, to investigate and compare the mechanical properties of the composites as a function of matrix and hybridization. In addition, a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to complete the comparative analysis of the thermal properties. Finally, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the fracture surface of the tested specimens. It was found that the hybridization process improved the mechanical properties of the non-hybrid jute fibre based composites for both matrices used. The resin used as matrix plays an important role on the mechanical properties of the composites. The epoxy matrix based composites presented higher tensile strength, while the polyester based composites presented higher tensile and flexural stiffness as well as higher impact energy, when compared to the epoxy-based composite. TGA analysis showed that the thermal stability of epoxy-based composites was higher compared to the polyester-based composites.
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