Effect of gamma irradiation aging on mechanical and thermal properties of alfa fiber–reinforced polypropylene composites

Abstract

Recently, the interest in plant fiber composites has considerably increased due to the new environmental legislation as well as consumer pressure that forced manufacturing industries to search substitutes to the conventional materials. The aim of this article is to assess the effects of different does of gamma irradiation on the physico-mechanical properties of the composites PP / alfa fiber treated and untreated. The Young’s modulus of composites increases in the presence of alfa fiber and it was more pronounced with untreated ones resulting by the cross-linking, whereas elongation and maximum strain decreased as dose irradiation raised. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the virgin PP has better stability to gamma irradiation than treated and untreated composites. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of the treated and untreated fiber greatly improves the thermal stability of the polymer matrix before and after gamma irradiation. Composites based on treated and untreated fiber have better storage modulus than virgin matrix.