Physical and mechanical properties of treated kapok fiber reinforced polyester composites

Abstract

The composite of treated kapok fibre reinforced polyester resin was carried out by using five different compositions of filler to study the physical and mechanical properties of composite. The investigation of the effect of fiber was done by comparing the characterizations results before and after the treatments of fiber. The treatment process of kapok has been done under certain conditions by 2% of maleic acid or sodium hydroxide solution, the kapok has dipped into the solution for two hours then placed in oven for 24 hours to make them dried. Different loading of treated kapok fiber was filled in polyester then moulded in compression at oC. The samples were characterized under tensile, flexure, impact, and hygrothermal aging. The results showed that, better tensile properties were for unaged samples neither the kapok was treated by maleic acid or NaOH, despite they were decreased by increasing the loading of fiber. In addition, flexural strength of both composites treated by (maleic acid or NaOH) was found to be decrease as the fiber loading increased. The composites under impact strength test exhibited, as the fiber loading rise up in both cases (treated by NaOH or maleic acid) the impact strength increase stately. Due to low mechanical and physical properties exhibited by treated kapok fiber reinforced polyester it can be noted that, kapok fiber need to be improved as reinforcing material.