Improvement of the interface bonding between date palm fibers and polymeric matrices using alkali-silane treatments

Authors

• Abdessamad Oushabi * ¹
• Fahd Oudrhiri Hassani ²
• Younes Abboud ¹
• Said Sair ¹
• Omar Tanane ¹
• Abdeslam El Bouari ¹

1. Laboratory of Physico-Chemistry of Applied Materials (LPCMA), University of Hassan II of Casablanca, Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Driss El Harti, B.P 7955, Sidi Othmane, Casablanca, Morocco
2. National School of Applied Sciences (ENSA), Safi, Morocco

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of chemical treatments on date palm fibers (DPFs) properties was studied; DPFs were first treated with a 5 wt% NaOH aqueous solution for 1 h and then modified using two types of silane coupling agents (3-Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane) with various concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%) to improve the interfacial properties of DPFs with polymeric matrices. SEM observations showed the formation of silane layers on the alkalized surface of DPFs. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that the salinization was successfully performed by forming covalent Si–O–C bonds between DPF and silane coupling agent. The pull-out behavior of treated fibers was also investigated using two matrices; polyurethane (PU) and epoxy. The obtained results showed that the treatments have successfully improved the interfacial bond characteristics of DPF-PU and DPF-Epoxy systems.

Keywords

• Polyurethane
• Pull out test
• Silane treatment
• Alkali
• Date palm fibers
• Epoxy
• Interfacial shear stress