Impact Strength, Water Absorption and Chemical Resistance of Untreated and Treated Cordia-Dichotoma Fiber/Polyester Composite

The effects of alkali treatment on the impact strength, water absorption, and chemical resistance properties of Cordial-Dichotoma natural fiber/polyester composites, were studied. Alkali treatment (5% NaOH) was used to improve the interfacial bonding between the matrix and the reinforcement. The composites were fabricated using hand lay-up technique. By reinforcing Different weight contents (10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) of the untreated and treated Cordia- Dichotoma fibers in the epoxy matrix. The impact strength, water absorption and chemical properties of the untreated and alkali-treated Cordia-dichotoma reinforced epoxy composites were investigated. The composite with 25%Cordia- Dichotoma fiber (5% NaOH alkali treated) gives improved impact strength when compared to the composite with untreated and neat epoxy matrix, showing that it has the superior bonding and adhesion of the composites. For water absorption and chemical resistance studies, acids, various solvents, and alkalis were used in the epoxy composites. This study has revealed that Alkali treated Cordia-Dichotoma reinforced composites have better resistance to water and chemicals than the untreated fiber composites.