Interfacial studies of natural fibre/polypropylene composites using single fibre fragmentation test (SFFT)

For the potential use and new applications of natural fibre reinforced plastics, it is crucial that the mechanical behaviour of these composites is fully understood. Single fibre fragmentation tests (SFFT) were carried out to compare the fragmentation phenomenon in two natural fibres/polypropylene (PP) composites. Polypropylene was used with maleic anhydride (MAPP) as a coupling agent for this study. The SFFT test results are significantly affected by both sample preparation method and testing conditions. Therefore, the influence of sample preparation, gauge length as well as strain rate were studied. By considering test reproducibility and practical findings, a gauge length of 15.5 mm and a test speed of 0.2 mm/min were selected for interfacial shear strength (IFSS) characterisation. Owing to the stiff nature of flax and ramie fibre, Weibull distribution was used to analyse fibre strength statistics. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.