article
Effect of cold plasma treatment on recycled polyethylene/kapok composites interface adhesion
Registro en:
Electronic: 1568-5543
org/10.1080/09276440.2018.1549892
Autor
Feitor, Michele Cequeira
Macedo, Murilo José Pereira
Mattos, Adriano Lincoln Albuquerque
Costa, Thércio Henrique de Carvalho
Ito, Edson Noriyuki
Melo, José Daniel Diniz
Resumen
Composites from recycled polyethylene and kapok fibers were pre-
pared using untreated and plasma-treated fibers. Flow properties,
mechanical properties and fracture morphology were analyzed in
order to evaluate the effects of cold plasma treatment on kapok fibers
to improve interfacial bonding between fibers and matrix. Melt flow
rate (MFR) measurements indicated a reduction in flow rate of the
polymer with the addition of kapok fibers. Storage modulus increased
with fiber addition and this effect was more significant when plasma-
treated fibers were used. Tanδ obtained from viscoelastic characteriza-
tion also suggested improvements in fiber/matrix interface as a result
of plasma treatment. Addition of kapok fibers to polyethylene pro-
duced a reduction in onset decomposition temperature determined
from thermogravimetry curve. However, the decrease in temperature
observed does not limit composite processing. Furthermore, the
degree of crystallinity of polyethylene increased with the addition of
untreated fibers and reduced when plasma treated fibers were added.
Morphological analysis of failure surface by Field Emission Gun
Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEGSEM) suggest that fiber/matrix
adhesion was clearly improved when plasma treated fibers were
used. Thus, the oxygen cold plasma treatment proved to be an effec-
tive non-polluting approach to enhance matrix/fiber adhesion in poly-
ethylene/kapok fiber composites, as opposed to chemical treatments.