Novel, Low-Cost Water Hyacinth-Polyester Composites Part 1: Processing, Mechanical Properties and FTIR Spectroscopy

摘要

Fibrous plants are available in abundance in nature and are a renewable resource. The development of high performance composites from a cheap natural fiber, such as water hyacinth (Eichhornea crassipes) is particularly beneficial from an economic point of view. Due to its high growth rate, the water hyacinth is a plant that due to its high growth rate has been extensively studied. It has been widely cited that 10 plants can generate more than 600.000 plants in a period of 8 months. In these areas, there is a general increase in several diseases, as the weed creates excellent breeding zones for mosquitoes and other insects. Water hyacinth also interferes with water treatment, irrigation and water supply.In terms of its properties, however, thermosetting resins such as polyester are used widely and act as a composite matrix. Polyester resin has good dimensional stability, thermal stability, and good mechanical propertiesFor this study, water hyacinth fiber-polyester resin (GP) composites with valuable mechanical properties were prepared using solution impregnation and hot curing methods. Various percentages of fiber loadings were used to prepare the composites (5, 10 y 20 wt%). The composites were characterized using FT-IR, DSC and TGA. The mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural strain, and moduli of the different samples were compared. Composites having 10 wt% of water hyacinth yielded the best results. The mechanical analysis and moisture content showed evidence of a substantial interphase in the composites that directly impact the development of their properties.The major finding in this work is that the composite specimens with 10wt% fiber loading exhibited highly improved mechanical properties. The water hyacinths werefound to have a better reinforcements quality than other fibers used in typical surface modification by coating or grafting processes.