Influence of Dewaxing On Mechanical Properties of Kapok Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite

Abstract

The low density, lightweight, easy processing and biodegradability nature of Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite have gained enough attention from many researchers and scientists. Kapok Fiber (Ceiba pentandra) is a natural cellulosic fiber have a hollow microtubular structure and a high degree of hollowness. The hand lay-up technique has been adopted for kapok fiber-reinforced epoxy polymer composite fabrication with different fiber loading(2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 wt %). The mechanical strength of kapok fiber-reinforced polymer epoxy composite is investigated through the flexural and tensile test. The best flexural and tensile performance is observed at 5 wt% loading of kapok fiber. To increase compatibility between fiber and epoxy matrix dewaxing process is adopted. The effect of dewaxing on cellulose crystallinity, crystallinity size, surface morphology, elemental composition and functional groups of fiber are studied. The roughness of the fiber surface increases after dewaxing due to the partial removal of non-cellulosic compounds like lignin, pectin, wax and some oily substances. The increase in fiber surface roughness and cellulose crystallinity index by chemical treatment made a strong interlocking at the fiber-matrix interface. The effect of dewaxing on mechanical strength is also studied to fabricate the composite for the benefit of society.