Effect of Extracted Nano-cellulose from Paper Egg Trays on Mechanical Properties of Vinyl Ester/Kenaf Fibers Composites

This study sustainably developed natural fiber composites from extracted nano-cellulose (ENC) from waste paper egg trays and incorporated them into vinyl ester/kenaf fiber (ENCVK) composites using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. Overhead stirring, three-roll milling, and ultrasonication were used to uniformly mix the ENC into the resin. The surface morphology exhibited a homogeneous distribution of ENC in the composites, and change in the % of transmittance of spectral peaks refers to the chemical interaction of ENC with the VK composites. ENC significantly improved tensile (32 MPa), flexural (77 MPa) and impact (0.0197 J/mm2) properties of the VK composites (18 MPa, 61 MPa and 0.009 J/mm2) by approximately 73%, 25% and 110%, respectively. Further, ENC inclusion enhanced the storage modulus of VK composites owing to the addition of rigid ENC particles, which enhances the bearing capacity of the composite and is reflected in its high performance. The loss modulus indicates that the interfacial interaction of ENCVK is more vital than VK. The tan Δ value indicates that the filler has strong adhesion, and the polymer cohesion damping is reduced, thus reflecting its high performance.