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Properties of nylon-6-based composite reinforced with coconut shell particles and empty fruit bunch fibres
Savetlana, S. Mulvaney-Johnson, Leigh Kelly, Adrian L.
Savetlana, S.
Mulvaney-Johnson, Leigh
Kelly, Adrian L.
Publication Date
2018
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© 2018 Taylor & Francis. This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Plastics, Rubber and Composites: Macromolecular Engineering, 2018, available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14658011.2017.1418711
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2017-12-14
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Abstract
Novel natural fibre composites of nylon-6 reinforced with coconut shell (CS) particles and empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres have been investigated. Fillers were alkali treated before melt compounding with nylon-6. Mechanical, thermal and rheological properties of composites were measured. Tensile modulus was found to improve with both fillers up to 16% for nylon-6/CS composite and 10% for nylon-6/EFB composite, whereas a moderate increase in tensile strength was observed only with CS composites. Differences in the strengthening mechanisms were explained by the morphology of the two fillers, empty fruit bunch fibres having a weaker cellular internal structure. Observation of composite morphology using SEM showed that both fillers were highly compatible with nylon-6 due to its hydrophilic nature. Both fillers were found to cause a slight drop in crystallinity of the nylon matrix and to lower melt viscosity at typical injection moulding strain rates. Moisture absorption increased with addition of both fillers.
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Accepted Manuscript
Citation
Savetlana S, Mulvaney-Johnson L, Gough T and Kelly AL (2018)
Properties of nylon-6 based composite reinforced with coconut shell particles and empty fruit bunch fibres. Plastics, Rubber and Composites: Macromolecular Engineering. 47(2): 77-86.
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