The Influence of Alkaline Treated Anthracothorax viridis Mango Wood Fiber on the Characteristics of Mango Wood Fiber Low Density Polyethylene Composite
Authors: Government, R.M., Amani, D.H., Ayuba, S., Ani, A.K. And Aha, J.
DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12599662
ABSTRACT
This present study examines the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment on the mechanical properties of Anthracothorax viridis mango wood fiber-low density polyethylene (MWF-LDPE) composite. The mango wood fiber (MWF) after initial preparation was alkalized with NaOH (ATMWF) and untreated mongo wood was kept aside (UNMWF). The UNMWF and ATMWF were infused in the LDPE by 4-20 wt%., respectively. The individual mixtures were compounded by the application of injection molding machine. The alkaline treated mango wood fiber-low density polyethylene (ATMWF-LDPE) and untreated mango wood-low density polyethylene (UNMWF-LDPE} composites obtained as an output from machine were tested for tensile, flexural and impact characteristics of the resulting products. The surface morphologies of both (ATMWF-LDPE) and (UNMWF-LDPE) composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The result indicated that the alkali (NaOH) treatment was able to cause a significant adhesion between the mango wood fiber (MWF) and low density poly-ethylene (LDPE) matrix. The investigated mechanical properties showed the potentials of the MWF as a suitable alternative for composite production. Generally, the tensile strength of the alkali modified mango wood fiber (ATMWF) was enhanced in comparison with the untreated mango wood fiber (UNMWF) in LDPE matrix. Due to the alkalization process, the tensile modulus of MWF-LDPE composite for the injection of ATMWF in LDPE matrix was comparable to the original LDPE and UNMWF in LDPE. The alkaline treatment process was also able to enhance surface modification thereby inhibiting composite bending, stiffness, and contributing to an improvement in the flexural modulus and strength.
Affiliations: Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Keywords: Mango Wood Fiber, SEM, Mechanical Properties, Untreated Mango Wood-low Density Polyethylene Composite, Alkaline Treated Mango Wood, Fiber-low Density Polyethylene Composite
Published date: 2024/06/30
