INFLUENCE OF SURFACE TREATMENTSON HYDROPHILITY OF NATURAL FIBERS

摘要

Several researches related to the use of natural fibers in polymeric matrix compositeshave been developed. The presence of –OH groups in some of their chemical components generate animportant hydrophylic tendency that produces adhesion lacks with hydrophobic polymeric matrices.In this work different natural fibers have been modified by silanization, esterification andmercerization processes. The natural fibers analyzed are fique, sisal and banana fibers extracted fromsteam of plants. To evaluate the changes introduced by treatments on chemical structure of fibers,FTIR spectrophotometry has been employed. The evaluation of advancing dynamic contact angles andthe determination of total surface free energy by using the Owens-Wendt method indicate that thetreatments allow to reduce the hydrophilic tendency of natural fibers by alterations on the physicochemicalcharacteristics of the fiber. This reduction is confirmed with the reduction of moisturesorption, analyzed by thermogravimetrical analysis.