Effect of Silane Treatment on Kapok Fibre and Mechanical Properties of Their Reinforced Composites

Abstract

The present study investigates the usability of lignocellulosic kapok fibres as a reinforcement for lightweight composites. Kapok fibres are modified by dewaxing followed by a silane coupling agent at different concentrations. The crystallographic structure and the alignment of silane linkage polymer chains on fibre structure are examined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The linkage of chemical bonds (Si-O-C And Si-O-Si) between the polymer structure of the fibre and silane coupling agent is confirmed from FTIR spectroscopy. A field emission scanning electron microscope was used to investigate the effect of silanes on the surface morphology of the fibre. Following the grafting of silanes onto the fibre, silane-modified kapok fibre-reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated using the hand lay-up technique. The chemical treatments on the fibre enhanced the flexural, tensile and impact strength of the composites by 132%, 102% and 146%, respectively. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites shows that silane treatment on fibre increased the storage modulus of the composites