Characterization of reinforcing polymeric material with recycled sugarcane bagasse wastes as fiber natural reinforcement

Abstract

In the present work, sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fibers were used as natural reinforcement to low-density polyethylene matrix to benefit from and get rid of unexploited Egyptian natural resources in bio-composites applications. The samples were prepared by injection molding processes using various fiber content (10 wt%, 20 wt% and 30 wt%). The fibers were treated chemically with 3% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to improve compatibility and adhesion with the matrix. Maleic anhydride was added as a coupling agent to improve interfacial adhesion. The mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural tests were performed according to ASTM standards. The chemical resistance of fabricated composites was also examined. The results indicated that the alkali treatment modified the fiber surface and increased the interaction between the fiber and the matrix. They also showed that adding the coupling agent improved the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the polyethylene. Additionally, the results showed that the maximum improvement of the fabricated composites with various fiber loadings was found at the 30 wt% treated coupled composites with tensile strength (17.5 MPa) and flexural (19.6 MPa). This reflected an enhancement in tensile strength by 41% and flexural strength by 72% at 30 wt% fiber compared to the neat polymer, respectively. The results also indicated that chemical resistance decreased with increasing fiber content. But it was found that the chemical resistance for aqueous solution 3.5 wt% Nacl was enhanced when the coupling agent was used. The greatest improvement in the resistance was observed for coupled treated SCB composite, followed by coupled untreated SCB composites. This reflected that the addition of maleic anhydride (MAPE) along with the composites improved the chemical resistance of the composites for aqueous solution 3.5 wt% Nacl.