A. Anjang Ab Rahman

Bio: A. Anjang Ab Rahman is an academic researcher from Universiti Sains Malaysia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Epoxy & Absorption of water. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 1 citations.

Effect of Nanofillers on Mechanical and Water Absorption Properties of Alkaline Treated Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Bio Nanocomposites

Abstract: ABSTRACT Natural fiber composites (NFCs) are gaining popularity in various technical sectors due to their environmental friendliness and low cost. In this study, alumina and magnesia were employed as nanofillers in various compositions of alkaline-treated and untreated jute fiber reinforced epoxy bio nanocomposites (BNCs). The synergetic effect of surface treatment and nanofillers was investigated in terms of mechanical properties (compression and interlaminar shear), water absorption behavior, and morphology of composites. Significant improvements in compressive and interlaminar shear strengths were reported, as well as a substantial decrease in the proportion of water absorbed. The optimal nanofiller concentration was observed at 3% in both alkaline-treated and untreated jute fiber-reinforced epoxy BNCs. The results demonstrate that nanofillers combined with surface treatment can significantly improve the strength and water absorption properties of jute fiber reinforced epoxy BNCs.

Hybridization effect on the mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced ZnO modified epoxy composites

Abstract: This paper discusses the fabrication of nano ZnO filled epoxy/basalt fiber composites and investigates the effect of such hybridization on the mechanical properties of the composites. The epoxy resin is modified by the addition of ZnO nanofiller in different wt.% (1–5 wt%). The dispersion of the nanofiller within the epoxy resin is brought about by sonication technique. The composites are fabricated through wet layup followed by curing under compression molding. To ascertain the effect of resin modification, flexural and tensile strengths are evaluated. The inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS) is determined to identify the compatibility of the ZnO nanofiller with the epoxy and the basalt fibers. The improvement in the ILSS indicates thorough wettability being achieved between all the composite components. The addition of ZnO nanofiller improved the flexural strength, while there was no remarkable improvement in the tensile strength of the ZnO modified epoxy/baslat (BEZ) composite. Maximum improvement in the strengths is observed for BEZ2 composite with 2 wt% of ZnO nanofiller. For BEZ2 composite, the flexural and tensile strength increased by about 22% and 9.78% respectively in comparison to unfilled BEZ0 composite. The ILSS for BEZ2 composite improved by 21.74% in comparison to BEZ0 composite. In addition, more than 2 wt% addition of the ZnO nanofiller resulted in the reduction of flexural, tensile and ILSS of the composite due to agglomeration. Such agglomeration resulted in the failure of the composite due to delamination, matrix cracking and fiber fracture as observed through scanning electron microscopy images of the fractured composites.

Effect of surface treatment of cotton fibers on the durability of polylactic acid/cotton-fiber biocomposites

Abstract: Composites composed entirely of biodegradable polymer materials such as polylactic acid (PLA) and natural fibers are attracting attention as alternatives to petroleum-based plastic materials. Since fibers have low dispersibility in bulk resins such as PLA, the use of fiber surface treatment agents can improve the fiber dispersibility and the physical properties of the composites. In this study, accelerated degradation tests were conducted at 60°C for upto 2000 h on specimens containing cotton fibers at a ratio of 40 wt% to the PLA matrix. The results showed that the interfacial adhesion between the PLA matrix and cotton fibers could be improved by coating the cotton fibers with a reactive surface treatment agent. Furthermore, the addition of 5 wt% of epoxidized linseed oil, a medium-molecular-weight reactive surface treatment agent, not only promoted the crystallization of the PLA/cotton-fiber composites at 60°C, but also improved the thermal and mechanical properties with the degradation time.