Effect of the Chemical Treatment and Fiber Length of Kenaf on Physical Properties of HDPE/Kenaf/Expandable Microcapsule

High density polyethylene (HDPE)/kenaf fiber (KF) composites included two types of KF with different lengths were fab- ricated by using a twin screw extruder. A thermally expandable microcapsule (EMC) was used to form HDPE/KF. The KF lengths were 0.3 mm and 3 mm. The contents of KF and EMC were fixed at 20 wt% and 5 wt%, respectively. From FT-IR data of KF, which underwent chemical treatment, peaks around 1700 and 1300 cm -1 decreased. This might be caused by the reduction of lignin and hemicellulose due to the chemical treatment of KF. Based on the specific gravity, thermal stability and tensile property, physical properties of the composites with a 3 mm fiber were good. However, if the fiber is longer, poor appearance might be caused due to the thermal degradation during processing. Thus, the adequate length of KF should be chosen to maintain the appearance and physical properties for industrial applications of HDPE/KF/EMC composites. The tensile strength for 0.3 mm fiber treated with chemicals increased slightly.

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