Effect of chemical treatment on thermal properties of bagasse fiber-reinforced epoxy composite

Abstract

The present paper deals with a study of the thermal properties of bagasse fiber (BF)-reinforced epoxy composites. BFs are subjected to untreated and chemical treatments with 1% sodium hydroxide followed by 1% acrylic acid at ambient temperature before the composites are made. The thermal stability of the components was studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, as well as by differential thermal gravimetric analysis. Thermal analysis results of untreated BF-reinforced epoxy composite were compared with treated BF-reinforced epoxy composite. The chemical treatment of BF induces reasonable changes in the thermal stability of the polymer composites.

Keywords

• bagasse fiber
• chemical treatment
• composites
• epoxy resin
• thermal properties