Improved hygrothermal durability of flax/polypropylene composites after chemical treatments through a hybrid approach

There are growing research interests in flax fibers due to their renewable 'green' origin and high strength. However, these natural fibers easily absorb moisture and have poor adhesion with polymer matrix leading to low interfacial strength for the composites. A hybrid chemical treatment technique combining alkali (sodium hydroxide) and silane treatments is adopted in the current study to modify flax fibers for improved performances of flax/polypropylene composites. Changes in chemical composition, microstructure, wettability, surface morphology, crystallinity and tensile properties of single flax fiber before and after chemical treatments were comprehensively characterized using techniques including SEM, FTIR, AFM, XRD, micro-fiber tester, etc. It was found that hemicellulose and lignin at the fiber surface were removed due to alkali treatment, which helped to reduce moisture absorption of the composites. Alkali-treated flax fibers were later subjected to silane treatment, which helped to improve the compatibility between flax fiber and polypropylene matrix. After alkali-silane hybrid chemical treatment, moisture absorption of the composites was further decreased. At the same time, the interfacial bonding strength between flax and polypropylene is significantly enhanced. All these results validate the great advantage of the hybrid chemical treatment approach for flax/polypropylene composites, which has the potential to promote the application of chemical treatment techniques in the plant fiber composite industry. Graphic abstract