Title of article :
Mechanical and Transport Properties of Natural Rubber Reinforced with Piassava (Raphia Hookeri) Fibre Composites
Author/Authors :
obasi, h.c. federal university of technology - department of polymer and textile engineering, Owerri, Nigeria , arukalam, i.o. federal university of technology - department of polymer and textile engineering, Owerri, Nigeria , nwanonenyi, s.c. federal university of technology - department of polymer and textile engineering, Owerri, Nigeria , eze, i.o. federal university of technology - department of polymer and textile engineering, Owerri, Nigeria , chiemenem, l.i. michael okpara university of agriculture - department of chemical engineering, Umudike, Nigeria , nwosu-obieogu, k. michael okpara university of agriculture - department of chemical engineering, Umudike, Nigeria , opara, h. nigerian institute of leather and science technology - department of polymer technology, Zaria, Nigeria
Abstract :
We report the preparation and studies on the mechanical and transport properties of natural rubber reinforced piassava fibre composites. The influence of piassava fibre and its modification on properties such as tensile and tear strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, hardness, and bound rubber content on composites evaluated. Increasing the fibre content to 30 phr,for instance, resulted in a decrease of about 6.47 %, 7.23 %, and 15.67 %, 16.86 %, of tensile and tear strengths for both modified and unmodified samples respectively. However, modulus at 100% strain and hardness had a direct relationship with the fibre content. SEM analysis revealed that fibre particles at low content showed good dispersion in the natural rubber matrix. Uptake of organic solvents by the composites and transport coefficients were investigated. They were found to decrease with increase in filler content, modification, and solvent size but with an increase in temperature. The mechanism oftransport and activation energy were also determined, and the former was found to be close to Fickian.
Keywords :
Natural rubber , Piassava Fibre , Bound rubber content , Mechanical properties , Transport coefficients
Journal title :
Journal of Materials and Environmental Science
Journal title :
Journal of Materials and Environmental Science
