Effect of AlkalineTreatment on Tensile and Impact Strength of Kenaf/Kevlar Hybrid Composites

摘要

This study is about the hybrid composite which used the woven Kevlar, long Kenaf fibre, and unsaturated polyester as the matrix. It focused on the mechanical characterization and properties of hybrid composite. The hybrid composites were fabricated by treated and untreated kenaf fibre and Kevlar as reinforcement in unsaturated polyester matrix using hand lay-up process. Effect of 6wt% of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) on the hybrid composites were analyzed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The tensile and impact performance of the samples were tested according to the standard ASTM D3039 and ASTM D3763, respectively. Based on scanning electron micrograph (SEM) morphological examination, it revealed that the interfacial adhesion between the fibre surface and polymer matrix were improved. The results proved that the alkaline treatment can help to improve the mechanical properties compared to the untreated kenaf fibre.