Investigation of viscoelastic behavior of Abaca-reinforced epoxy composites

Natural fiber-based composites demonstrate excellent and comparable static and dynamic mechanical properties to conventional materials, such as steel and aluminum. They also extend their applications to aeronautical, sports equipment, and marine fields. This experimental study aims to find the effect of untreated and treated Abaca-reinforced epoxy composites on the viscoelastic behavior and the optimum combinations of fiber and resin to produce better bonding efficiency. The different specimens used for this study were pure epoxy, untreated, and chemically treated composite specimens. The four weight percentages of Abaca fibers are 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% used to prepare composite specimens. Similarly, four different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrations, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt. %/vol. %, have been used for the chemical treatment of fibers. The storage modulus of Abaca-reinforced epoxy composite specimen has been investigated with respect to temperature and fiber content. The result shows that the 30% weight fraction of fibers with chemically (8 wt. %/vol. %) treated fiber-reinforced epoxy specimen produces 41.67% higher storage modulus than the 10% weight fraction of fibers content of composite specimens. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) broad transmittance has been used to distinguish the raw and chemically treated fibers. FTIR results reveal the removal of functional groups after NaOH treatment.