Coir fiber reinforced chemically functionalized ethylene butylene acrylate composites

Abstract Coir fiber (COIRF) reinforced glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) functionalized ethylene butyl acrylate (CF‐EBA) composites (COIRF/CF‐EBA) were processed by extrusion and injection molding. A good COIRF/CF‐EBA interfacial adhesion was indicated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE‐SEM). Fourier Transform Infra‐Red (FTIR) spectroscopy established this adhesion emerging from etherification and hydrogen bonding between the functional groups of CF‐EBA and of COIRF. The composites exhibited higher tensile properties than pristine CF‐EBA, and also exhibited increase in their tensile properties with increase in COIRF contents in them. The storage modulus and loss modulus of the composites also increased as the amount of COIRF in them increased, but the values of these properties decreased with increasing temperature. Thermal stability of the composites was observed to be intermediate between that of COIRF and CF‐EBA. Highlights Coir Fiber/Chemically Functionalized Ethylene Butylene Acrylate Composites. CF‐EBA/COIRF bonding by etherification and hydrogen bonding between them. The COIRF/CF‐EBA composites show higher properties than their CF‐EBA matrix. 30/70 COIRF/CF‐EBA composite showed the highest tensile strength (10.93 MPa). COIRF/CF‐EBA composite show thermal stability upto approx. 245°C.